


You Are My Star

by TazzyKy



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-02-13 19:37:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 76,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12991071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazzyKy/pseuds/TazzyKy
Summary: After seven long years of refusing to come back, the twins finally return to Gravity Falls. A 19 year old Dipper and Mabel Pines are handed the keys to the old Mystery Shack when their Grunkle decides it's time to retire and move. But their return also brought back a once believed to be dead dream demon, giving the twins an interesting "Welcome Back" summer.





	1. Welcome Home!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [You Can't Be The One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052368) by [TazzyKy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazzyKy/pseuds/TazzyKy). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back! Hello! I hope you enjoy the new (and hopefully better) version of "You Can't Be The One"! If you'd like to know why this story got a 2.0 version then please refer back to the original story! I'm planning on updating this story every Friday or Saturday (maybe Sunday depending on where you live), but forgive me if I forget to update weekly.
> 
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

 

 _A young boy ran through the darkness. It appeared to stretch on forever. No beginning. No end. There were no landmarks around him to give him any hint as to where he could be. He was running for what seemed like hours, just praying he could find the way out. He was hopelessly lost. Afraid. Clueless. Confused. His legs burned with every step that he took. The only thing keeping him going was the fear shooting through his veins. A booming laughter came from behind him. Much closer than he would have liked. It was twisted with a slight glitch to it. No human could produce that kind of sound, "Where do you think you're going kid?! Do you really think you can out run me? We're in my domain." the voice came from right behind him_ _._

Dipper shot up in his bed. Sweat stuck his hair to his forehead. His chest rising quickly as he attempted to control his breathing. His arms trembled as they kept him sitting up. His dark brown eyes raced around the room until they landed on a sleeping figure. Mabel. She slept peacefully across the room with Waddles at her feet. Her chestnut brown curls entangled around her sleeping face. Dipper let out a long sigh, pulling his legs over to the side of the bed. He ran a hand through his own curls. His legs began blindly walking out of the room and into the old kitchen.

The shack that they now lived in was passed down from their great uncles. After the death of his twin brother Ford, Stanley retired to a remote island to live his live in peace far away from the paranormal life. The keys to the Mystery Shack were handed down to the twins, Dipper and Mabel. The unbelievable attractions were shut down and closed off. The gift shop was turned into a small art studio for Mabel to work on her projects. Dipper turned Stan's old room into a small study for him to sulk over bills and work on his writing. Ford's room remained untouched. Neither twin wanted to get rid of the memory of their amazing Grunkle Ford. Paint chipped from the inside and out of the shack. Wooden floor boards grew out to be seas of splinters. They creaked with every small step you took throughout the shack. Repairs came to a complete stop the moment Soos and Melody had a baby. Wendy no longer came around the shack either. College had called her away to Idaho with homework keeping her chained to her dorm.

Dipper's legs collapsed him into one of the old chairs that sat at the dining table. His eyes glanced to the clock above the fridge.  **3:29 AM.** Seven years ago the twins had found out they had a Grunkle living in Gravity Fall.s They were sent to spend a summer out in the forest with him. It was then, on their first night in the shack, that Dipper's nightmares began. Of course he wanted to find some scientifically unexplainable things on their trip. But he never wanted this demented demon to terrorize him and his family. Dipper was already a serious insomniac before the demon showed up, the nightmares only made it worse. Every night his head was filled with disgusting creatures and occasionally grotesque deaths of his family and friends. Lucky for them, Ford was able to banish the demon before Dipper and Mabel's summer came to an end. Unlucky for them, Ford died in the process of removing him. He hadn't had a dream like that in the past 7 years, not until tonight.

He held his face in his hands with his elbows resting tiredly atop the wooden table, "It's nothing Dipper. You're just reliving some bad memories. He's not back." Dipper whispered to himself before pushing himself from the table to leave the room.

A twisted laugh came from his head, " **You're wrong kid.** "

Dipper's body froze up. His blood running cold. His mind raced over the things that Ford had told them those years ago.

**"Grunkle Ford there was to be some other way! What if this doesn't even work?!"**

**"I promise you all that doing this will be the end of that wretched creature. He won't be able to survive this. I have to do this kid, to make up for my mistakes."**

Dipper shook his head refusing to believe that he was back. Dipper's feet trudged against the wooden floorboards as he slowly made his way back up to the attic. The door creaked as he pushed it open, stirring Mabel from her sleep, "Dip? Is everything okay?"

He glanced at her, crawling into the warmth of his bed, "Yeah, fine."

The girl let out a small hm before laying back to sleep and letting her soft snores fill the quiet room once more. Dipper kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling for the rest of the night. He was too afraid to try sleeping again. Once again, his mind raced bak to Grunkle Ford's words. Nothing made sense. There was no possible way that the dream demon could be back in their dimension. But there was no possible way for any other demon to pull Dipper into the Mindscape. No other demon could produce that glitchy laugh that haunts his mind. However, there was the slight chance that another demon had risen after his death. But that wasn't very likely. His mind flicked to the lab that sat below the shack. It still sat there untouched with years of information on every mystical being. There were stacks of paper just sitting there collecting dust. Papers that he could use to help him figure out his new nightmare. But there was one problem. Mabel locked the door to lab and keeps the key buried in her nightstand drawer. He'd never be able to make it down there without catching her attention.

He let out a small sight as he turned onto his side to look at the wall. He could always try sleeping again. If he doesn't have another nightmare, then he'd be fine. The demon wouldn't be back and he'd just have to start his prescription again for a while. But if he did have a nightmare, then he'd have to tell Mabel the moment she woke up. He shut his eyes trying to sleep but the fear kept him awake. After a few moments moving around in bed Dipper finally gave up and laid on his back to stare at the ceiling. He let his mind race around for the rest of the night until the sun came peeking into their room. He was first to leave the room before Mabel had woken up. The girl came slugging into the kitchen thanks to the scent of bacon making its way into the attic. 

"Good morning Dip." she fell into one of the chairs and let her head rest on the table.

Dipper turned to her with a large smile, placing a full plate in front of her, "Mornin', got anything planned for the day?"

"Not really. Grenda works this week and Candy is visiting a friend. We're all trying to plan a gils night though. Maybe invite Wendy, if you're fine with it."

"Mabel, how many times do I have to tell you that it was a silly little crush when I was like 12. Besides, I'm gay. She doesn't bother me anymore."

"Yeah sure, maybe you should go out and make some friends rather than-" Mabel's eyes rested on Dipper's tired face, "Did you-did you have a nightmare?"

"No, it's just another night of bad insomnia."

"Didn't Dr. Strange give you sleeping pills to help with that?"

"He did but I forgot to take them last night. Don't worry about me Mabel, I'll probably pass out in a few hours."

She slowly nodded before returning to her food. They ate in silence for the rest of the morning and to Dipper's surprise, he actually did manage to sleep. He was barely able to make it up to his bed before passing out and letting a heavy sleep take over his tired body.

_Darkness. Once more he stood in the black empty void. His eyes focused on a glowing object far in the distance. His heart dropped to his feet when the object got closer. Yellow. The twisted laugh. A golden eye staring down at him. Dipper fell to what he assumed was the ground. Fear took over his body as the object floated to be inches from his face. Slimy sharp teeth got too close to his face, "And you thought I was lying!"_

_The mouth clamped down to create a loud sound that echoes around them. Flames lit up the black space around him. The object now gone. The darkness burned away to reveal the forest that surrounded the shack. Except the shack wasn't behind him. The totem pole wasn't even in sight. Dark towering trees surrounded him. Their thick leaves sealing away the sun. His heart screaming to jump from his chest with every little step that he took. The silence that laid creepily around his was broken with the laugh. It echoes around the empty forest making it impossible to locate where it came from. His legs began to tremble as he sprinted through the trees terrified that he might run into the creature._

Dipper screamed. His entire body jolted awake.  **This isn't good.** Tears burned at his eyes. He fell back onto the bed with his hand clutching his chest. Mabel peeked her head into the room, "Dipper? What happened?"

He lifted his head to look at her. His eyes clouded over with a saddened pain and most of all, fear. He simply shook his head at the girl. She stepped further into the room to sit on the end of his bed, "Do you want me to call Dr. Strange? I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming down to check on you. How long has it been since you've last spoken to him?"

Dipper didn't reply. He shrugged his shoulders in a weak response, "It's nothing."

"If you say so. But just remember what Grunkle Ford always said."

"Ding dong the witch will be dead," he let out a small laugh, "Yeah, I know Mabes. He's dead. He can't touch me anymore."

She gave him a warming smile, "There you go." she pat his leg before leaving the room.

He groaned loudly before crawling out of the bed and heading into his office. Writing always helped him clear his head. Not to mention his childhood provided good material for his stories. Their first summer in Gravity Falls did give them a few benefits. He was able to take the strange creatures that he met and throw them all into a book that, lucky for him, ended up getting published. At first the book wasn't very popular with people, but after some famous authors got their hands on the book it blew up. Things were looking good for his writing career. That is until, people grew impatient and wanted more from him. Moving from California to Oregon had really put his writing on hold along with all the repairs he's been trying to do around the shack. He didn't have any new material for a new book nor did he have any idea how to continue the last book.

He took in a deep breathe as let his mind roam free as his fingers moved across the keyboard.  **2:38 PM.** Dipper had made absolutely no progress other than four brand new pages of mindless letters. He leaned back in his chair to let out a loud aggravated sigh. Mabel's small footsteps came walking into the room, "You okay brobro?"

He shook his head before leaning onto the desk, "I've got nothing for this book! There's no inspiration anywhere."

Mabel walked further into the room to sit on the desk, "Well if you think about it, you only had inspiration for that one because you were put into a different environment that you're not use to with different surroundings. Maybe all you need is a new environment. How about we pack up and head to a different city for a few weeks?"

Dipper glanced down at the jumble of letters typed out before him. He gave the girl a quick nod. Mabel bounced out of the room to begin packing. Within a few hours, the twins had packed, dropped Waddles off with a friend, purchased their tickets, and were now sitting on the only bus out of Gravity Falls to a train station in a nearby town. The bus ride took roughly 6 hours to get to the station. It was a small beat up place but it was the closest they could find to their small town. Mabel ran onto the train the moment it arrived at the platform. She nabbed the seat by the window and immediately pulled out her knitting supplies. Dipper sat across from her, placing his laptop on the small table that sat between them. The twins had decided to stay at a small beach town in California. It had less than 200 residents and no tourists, just the perfect get away to avoid dealing with people. The setting sun quickly turned into the bright moon. Mabel had retired the knitting to snuggle up to sleep. Dipper remained awake. His eyes locked on the screen in front of him.  **A bit of research might help ease my mind. Who knows, it might even help with my story.**

He pulled out a notebook from his bag and began his work. With Grunkle Ford gone, there was no one but the internet to help him. If he could get his hands on the notes then he'd still have to figure out the coded writing that Ford used with every important paper. The hardest coding was used in the "Cipher File." Those notes were Ford's most prized possessions. The internet wasn't much better than the codes. He didn't know a lot about the demon, but he did know enough to realize that everything he was reading online was all false. He slammed his computer shut. Mabel shifted in front of him but didn't wake up. His fingers massaged at his temples.

After the demon was banished, Dipper was sent to a good friend of Stanley's for therapy. Dr. Strange. It was his specialty to work with patients who were traumatized from the paranormal. The twins were skeptical at first but slowly learned to trust the man when the nightmares began to disappear for good. Of course it wasn't only just the doctor doing all the work. He had three prescriptions given to him to help with his insomnia and his anxiety caused by the demon. He hated the pills as much as they worked. His dreams slowly got better but his mental health also slowly declined. When the pills were stopped and he was cured, his life began getting better. But he always felt like something had been missing after that summer. He always guessed that it was Grunkle Ford that was missing, but deep down inside he knew that wasn't it. But what it was he just couldn't think of. He fell against the seat with defeat. He let his head fall to the side to look out the window at the view gliding past them. Images of a yellow triangle flashed around in the darkness as he was pulled to sleep.

_Everything was grey. The other passengers, along with Mabel, were all missing. He stood up to search the other carts. All empty. He kept going through each and every one until he reached the end of the train. The very last cart had soft classical music playing behind the thin door. He sucked in a deep breath before pushing the door open. A yellow glow came from the end of the cart. Chills shot through his body as the glow rose up to reveal the yellow dream demon. The golden slit glared at him, "You can't escape from Cipher!"_

_Dipper fell to the ground. His mouth dry, his arms trembling as they tried pulling him away, "What do you want from me?" Dipper's voice was almost nonexistent._

_"You'll find out in time kid." the glitchy laugh._

There no screams as he woke up. Only the soft sound of the train gliding over the tracks. Mabel was standing, her bag now on the table. She looked down at him with a smile, "It's about time you woke up, we're just about to pull into the station."

Dipper nodded as he began stuffing his laptop away. A soft bell chimed through the cart as the train came to a rough stop. Besides the twins, only one other person got off the train. The town was a lot smaller than they thought it would be. A couple streets were filled with shops and restaurants and the rest of the streets held scattered houses. It was easy for them to find their small house for the next two weeks. A tiny living room was to the right with the kitchen to the left and a few doors down the small hallway before them, "I guess people in a small town don't need a lot of space. I call the bigger room!" Mabel dashed down the hall inspecting both rooms before disappearing into one of them.

Dipper dropped his bags beside the tiny dining table and pulled out his laptop. His eyes scanned the room looking for something interesting. White walls. Simple appliances. Plain furniture. A plain boring house. Mabel slid int the seat across from him with her knitting needles in hand, "You seem out of it today Dip. How long is this writer's block going to last?"

He slowly looked at her, "This kind of thing isn't very easy. I never thought that the first book would get that much attention. I thought I'd just have the pleasure of publishing a book and call it a day."

"Why don't you just start over fresh? Instead of writing an ending for that story just make a new one. Pick out one of those old ones that you wrote in high school and work with that."

He stared at her blankly trying to process her words. Dipper's always been told that he had a gift with stringing words together. He had the rare talent of creating an imaginary world and describing it in the way that the reader could feel like they were actually there in person. The only flaw with that talent was that he had no idea how to write the ending to a story. His computer held a large file just filled with small stories that were never finished. They all lacked that certain spark that people wanted. Maybe now that he's had more experience he might be able to create that missing thing, "What story should we use then? Aliens vs Earth? Bigfoot My BFF?"

Mabel rolled her eyes, "You're so funny Dipper. Maybe you should be a comedian instead. No, I think you should write about that summer. Just imagine how well you'd be able to write that. You'd be more famous than Harry Potter himself! Just imagine it, that book could even get turned into a horror movie!"

His fingers tapped on the table, "Yeah, think so much about the past and write about it for months until it's published and out of my sight? Be forced back into that hell? No thank you Mabel. Dr. Strange would put me back on those pills the moment he found out about the book."

"Dr. Strange also said that you were cured. Grunkle Ford even said himself that he's gone and there's nothing that can bring him back. You're safe from the past. It can't hurt you anymore."

His fingers stopped moving, "Yeah sure, I'll think about it."

She gave him a small smile before returning to her knitting. Mabel was the first one to give in for the night and retreated to her room. Dipper soon left for his own room. He wasn't able to sleep. He sat up in his bed just looking around the room. His brown eyes soon rested on the wall in front of him for the rest of the night. Every time his eyes threatened to close, he'd slap himself awake. He watched as the sun slowly made its way into his room. As it rose, so did Mabel. She knocked softly on his door before pushing it open, "Are you up?"

He rolled out of the bed letting his body stretch out, "Yeah, I'm up."

"Get ready, I wanna try one of the small cafes that we passed by last night." she shut the door leaving Dipper alone.

Dipper sat at the table beside a window looking out at the empty town. Mabel placed a coffee in front of him before taking a seat. He glanced over at her, "I don't think we chose a lively enough place."

"Oh hush, you can't rush a new piece. It's been awhile since you've seen a beach. How about we spend the day there? Maybe it'll remind you of our time at the pool. Mermaids Dipper."

He chuckled, "Sure."

They made a quick stop by the house to pick up some things before going back out to the beach. It was a quiet place. There were only a few boats sitting in the harbor. One person was already on the beach digging around in the sand. Mabel threw off her clothes leaving them beside Dipper. She took off for the cold blue water. She loved to swim and be in water, she just hated what it did to her hair.  **Mermaids Dipper. Mermando**. During their first summer in Gravity Falls, the twins met a merman in the town's pool. He was an interesting creature. His tail was all that Dipper really cared about. He could look over that thing for days before getting bored. A story about mermaids could work. Mabel and Mermando still kept in touch with bottle messages every summer, he'd have access to information if he ever needed it. Mabel came walking up the sand to sit beside him as he spoke, "What about mermaids?"

she glanced at him with a raised brow, "Are you still hung up on that kiss with Mermando?" he pushed the girl lightly earning a smile from her, "But really, I don't know. It's not often you see a famous book about mermaids. They're not very..scary. You know it doesn't even have to be all of the past. Just about demons. Those are scary. That can put people on edge. Give them what they want!"

He slowly nodded. His finger was mindlessly drawing in the sand as they talked. He glanced down to see a triangle shape dug into the sand. He looked at it with disgust before smashing a hand over it to destroy it. Mabel rolled off the blanket that they sat on to lay in the sun. Mabel switched between going into the water and laying on the sand to sunbathe. Dipper sat under the umbrella trying to come up with a story and mindlessly letting his finger trace the same shape in the sand. They ended their day with a quick trip back to the cafe to pick up dinner. Dipper took a few bites of his food before giving up and heading to bed. He fell asleep the moment his body made contact with the soft cooling bed.

_The warmth of the sand heated up his cold body. The sun slowly drying the ocean water from his skin. He sat alone on the beach. No one around to bother him. The soft waves lapped onto the sand, urging him to come back and take a dip into the cool water. He felt something pulling him into the water. A head was peaking out of the water. Soft blue eyes and white blond hair. A beautiful face. Dipper just felt so drawn to it that he didn't even notice he was already standing waist deep in the water. The body swam around him. A hand grabbing onto his to pull him deeper in. He remained calm even when his feet could no longer feel the ground below him. The creature floated in front of him when something strange began wrapping around his legs. The hands left the water to cup Dipper's face. It tilted its head causing their blue eyes to shine even brighter in the sunlight. One arm moved to rest on Dipper's shoulder while the other one remained against his cheek. Dipper's eyes were able to glance down at the water to see a long blue tail tangled in his legs keeping him from moving. The creature began laughing. The glitch. The hand cupping his cheek moved to cover his mouth as his body was pulled under the water. His eyes watching as the world above him began to darken._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my opinion, I don't think this new version will be too different from the original BUT there are certain parts that have been changed drastically so I suggest you read everything!  
> The original story had the glitch text to it in a few spots of the first chapter, let me know if you preferred the glitch text or normal text for that part!  
> I just wanted to share this amazing song with you guys, during my long time of writing the og version and editing this version I would on repeat listen to this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKJrbUaUmfs). I'm not sure why but it just speaks to me when it comes to these two so it really helped with getting me in my zone. 
> 
> **Special thanks to Opal_Spirit for talking with me about rewriting this. They're an amazing person, very kind, and incredibly helpful! Go check out their stories and leave them some love!**


	2. My Living Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.
> 
> **Warning: small cussing is used later in the chapter**

Dipper's eyes opened slowly. A story about mermaids was now out of the question. He sat up to the smell of bacon drifting through the small place. Mabel's soft hums could be heard through the thin walls. Dipper inched his way out of his room and over to the dining table. His chin rested on the table as he looked at his twin. This routine continued for the rest of their stay. Dipper would either stay up all night and force himself through a day with his sister. Or he'd have a nightmare and still be up for the rest of the night. Mabel would force him out of the house early in the morning to walk around the small town looking for things to give him inspiration for story.

Mabel was on the verge of tears the morning they left for Gravity Falls. She didn't want to go back to that old town in the middle of the woods and deal with the old shack. She was having fun on the beach. Dipper on the other hand couldn't wait to get back. He'd be able to lock himself into the study and continuously bang his head onto the table until he thought of something.

It was late when they pulled up to the shack. Mabel opened the back door to let Waddles run out and into the house. Mabel began on dinner while Dipper headed up to unpack their things. Dinner was short and quiet. Dipper went to his study while Mabel headed up to sleep. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off his laptop. He had thought about Mabel's words on their way back and decided to pull out everything he knew on every demon out there. He spent the entire night typing up a new story. Dipper was not in the mood to have another nightmare. He'd even go so far as to fill the sink with cold water and dunk his head into it. He managed to finish 6 cups of coffee by the time Mabel woke up the next morning and came down. She looked at him with a frown, "Did you get any sleep last night?"

He shook his head still keeping his eyes on his computer, "I got too busy writing my book. I've found the inspiration, I'll sleep once it dies down."

She bit her lip, "Alright fine."

She turned away from him to start cooking breakfast. She tossed a plate beside him earning his attention away from the computer. Mabel couldn't take her eyes off of her brother as he ate. His under eye bags were noticeably worse than usual, "Are you-have you been sleeping at all lately?"

His head slowly tilted up to look at her, "Not really..but it hasn't been bothering me. I'm fine."

"Please stop lying to me. I'm your twin, it's my job to worry about you. Did you even try to call Dr. Strange at all?"

"Seriously Mabes, it's nothing. Just I don't know, stressed from the new book I guess."

"I can't believe you Dipper Pines! I'm your sister! You can't just shut me out like this, especially when it comes to that monster. You should've told me that they kept happening. I can't believe you'd just keep something like this from me!"

"My god Mabel! I'm not 12 anymore, okay? I can take care of myself. I don't need you babying me every second of the day like you did for fie whole years." Dipper pushed himself away from the table to leave the room.

Mabel flinched when she heard the door to his office slam shut. She sighed softly to herself, looking at the pink pig beside her, "What are we gonna do with that kid Waddles?"

Mabel went throughout her day like she normally did. Clean the dishes after breakfast. Spend time in her art studio trying to finish up as many projects as she could to start her own store. Try talking to her friends to make plans with them. the usual normal things. She was use to not speaking too much to Dipper through the day. But she was worried about him. She was always the person he turned to when something was wrong. She was the only person he felt comfortable enough with to even say if he was happy or sad. It wasn't like him to keep something, especially this big, from her. The dread ate away at her forcing her to drop her project and check on Dipper. She knocked softly on the door, "Dipper? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad. I'm just-it's just that I'm your sister, you know? You always tell me when somethings wrong so that I can help you through it. That's what we do. I'm not mad at you for keeping this to yourself. Just let me help you, please."

There was no response from inside the room.  **He's either too pissed off at me, or he passed out from lack of sleep.** She rested her head against the closed door, "Just, come talk to me when you're ready. We don't have to call Dr. Strange if you don't want to. We'll fix this."

Dipper didn't hear what she said. He wasn't even in the room. The door he slammed was the front door, not the study's door. he had left hours ago to wander around the forest to clear his head. His long walk lead him to the hidden lake that he loved so much. The water was perfectly clear with a light blue tone to it. Colored fish varying in sizes swam through the lake, each one sparkling brightly as they moved. The grass in this area was perfectly green and just at the right short length. Strange animals were always around the area doing all sorts of activities. Dipper would come out here during the summers whenever he was having a bad day and would just draw the closest creature to calm him down. This time, he stood ankle deep in the water skipping rocks. It was peaceful here. No one to bother him.

"That's interesting." Dipper jumped when he heard a foreign voice come from behind him, "I've never seen someone out here before."

Dipper turned around to see a tall man standing a few feet back. For someone being out in the middle of the forest, he was dressed quite nicely. He wore shiny black alligator skin shoes along with pristine black slacks. A white button up had sleeves rolled up his elbows which revealed strange symbols covering his arms. Simple black gloves covered half of his hands, one hand holding onto a black cane. A yellow waistcoat hugged close to his body. Golden blond hair was slicked back. One gold eye looked at him, the other covered by a black eyepatch. He flashed a large smile to the boy making sure to tip the black top hat that he wore, "Good evening Mr. Pines. What are you doing out here in the forest all by yourself? Are you really sure this is a good idea?" the smile spread into something twisted.

Dipper's mind yelled at him to run, but curiosity got the better of him. He stepped away from the lake to move closer to the strange man, "Who are you? You seem familiar in an odd way."

"I don't think we've met before. Well, at least not like this." a gloved hand extended out to Dipper.

His brown eyes looked over it before slowly reaching out to take it. The stranger's hand tightened on his own, "It hurts that you don't recognize me."

The man shook Dipper's hand before dropping it and bring his hand back to rest on the cane. Dipper tilted his head, "I'm sorry, maybe I'll remember when you tell me your name."

Once more, the creepy twisted smile, "Oh but my dear, you should know me too well for me to say my name. After all, I was the one to haunt your dreams Pine Tree."

Dipper's expression dropped to something unreadable. His entire body tensed up and grew cold. As much as he wanted to run back to the safety of the shack, his legs just wouldn't move from their spot. After a few moments of silence, Dipper found his voice, "How did you-"

"Survive? Did you really think that idiot could get rid of me? I'm a creature made of pure energy. It's not easy to kill a demon. I mean, don't get me wrong kid, Ford was a genius. But he wasn't smart enough to end my existence. He merely damaged me to the point of near death. I finally built up enough power to come back into your dimension, you were my favorite toy after all."

Dark images from his childhood came flooding back into his mind. The horrid nightmares that caused so much fear and trauma into his life. The night's he spent awake just trying to avoid the nightmares. The fights that went on between him and everyone he loved. The thousands of pills he's had to swallow in order to forget everything. The night he dreaded the most. His eyes glanced down at the ground as the tears came rolling out. The demon moved closer to him. His hand pushing Dipper's chin up to look up at him. The golden eye burning down on him

"We don't have time for tears darling. I'm here for a deal. I did something frowned upon among all demons, something that just angers us all. I'm being hunted down by every demon out there. You remember the Mindscape, right?" Dipper slowly nodded the best he could with Bill's hand still keeping his head tilted up, "Well, that's their number one way to get me. Unlike Ford, they know how to kill me in this dimension and my own. So I need your help. There's a lot of magic in this forest, Magic that can hide my aura. That's enough to keep them far away from me in the physical form. And this is where the deal comes in. Ford placed a seal on your little mind before he died to make sure that if his plan didn't work, I'd have no way back into your mind. What he failed to realize is that his life force is what really made the seal so powerful. With him gone it weakened the seal making it possible for me to sneak in. I need you and your own Mindscape to hide in."

"What? Why do you need me?"

"Because what a shock, this demon here needs to recharge their power every night when they're in the human body! And I can only recharge in the Mindscape. Your Mindscape is protected from every demon out there, besides me. I can be safe in there."

Dipper's eyes glanced around him, searching for a way out. Bill snapped his fingers beside his face, "Hey, stay with me kid. All I'm asking for is a deal. You won't be harmed by me. Are you going to listen to me?"

Dipper didn't respond. As quickly as he could, Dipper pulled a pocket knife from his jacket and stabbed it into the demon's side. Bill hissed at the boy but as expected let him go in an attempt to remove the blade. Dipper took this as a chance to start running. He head a clear shot straight to the shack. His legs burned from the plants that stuck out and tore away at his pants. His body was begging him to stop running. His entire body burned. A weak smile grew on his face when he saw the totem pole come in sight, "Mabel!" Dipper yelled for his twin when he made it out of the trees.

His twin came running out of the shack to meet him halfway. He ran into her arms, causing both of them to fall to the ground. She ran a hand through his hair, "What happened? Where were you?!"

He didn't have the energy or the voice to talk. The tears finally took over him. Waddles sat beside them softly nudging his snout against Dipper's cheek. Mabel's free hand began rubbing small circles against his back. She whispered soft words into his ear. A loud snap came from the trees earning her attention. Her eyes glared up at the man standing a distance away, "Who the hell are you? What did you do to my brother?"

"I've done absolutely nothing wrong. He just wasn't too happy to find out I was back." the golden eye glowed.

"Wh- who are you?" fear began to grow in her chest.

"Come on Star, don't you remember an old friend?" he smiled calmly at her.

Mabel's short fear was replaced with anger. She twiste her smaller body out from Dipper's grip and stood before the tall man. Her hands shot up to grab his collar and pull him down to her, "You have 10 seconds to get off out property before I go get the shotgun. I want you far from us and this town, right now." she released his shirt with a slight push.

She was immediately beside Dipper trying to help him up, but Dipper was still frozen in place. This time due to the all too familiar blue flames surrounding the demon behind his twin. Mabel spun around to look at Bill, "You're really funny kids! You really think that a simple threat will keep me away?"

"Ford's research can keep you away!" she spat back at the demon only to earn his glitchy laugh.

"That research is gone! when he died, so did his protection he had on everything he owned. Every little page, every little word about me is gone. Burned to ashes. You've got nothing!"

Mabel was speechless. Ford's life work was now gone. Everything they knew about the dream demon was gone. They were powerless against the creature that could kill the in a heartbeat. A creature that could start another apocalypse and actually get away with it this time. Dipper calmed down enough to speak up from his spot on the ground, "What's the deal Bill? If it's good enough then I'll take it."

She turned to look at him, "Are you insane? A deal with this thing? He'd just trick you into something and kill us in our sleep."

"You don't know the entirety of the situation hun. Dipper's only useful to me if he's alive. You let me live here and hide out in your Mindscape every night and in return I won't harm either of you. Matter of fact the human body prevents me from using too much power, so there's not much I can do to you two."

Mabel crossed her arms over her chest, "If you really wanna stay here that badly, then throw in you helping around the shack whenever we ask and not giving us an attitude about it. Meaning you'll do it the moment we sat and you'll do it right."

"Yeah sure fine! I'll throw in my spleen if I have to. I just want to live!"

"Then you've got a deal." Mabel held her hand out to the demon.

Bill reached his hand out, but instead he pushed the girl's away, shaking his head, "I'm sorry but no. If anyone's gonna make the deal then it has to be Dipper."

"What? Why me?" Dipper reached over to hug the pig that sat beside him.

"Unlike your sister over here, we've got a bond. A sort of connection. It helps make the deal stronger. But there's one part you won't like. You know, the human form really does restrict a lot of things. The strength of a deal affects how well the demon follows through. Most of the deals power is lost in human forms."

"Cut to the point Bill, how do we bring back that missing power to make sure you won't kill us."

"The only thing that can bring back that missing part is a kiss."

Dipper gagged, "Nope, I'm out. Mabel please."

"No, I'm not kissing a demon. Besides, you're the one he's after. You've got the 'connection'."

Dipper groaned before standing to walk over to the demon. Bill's gloved hand raised up engulfed in blue flames. Dipper swallowed dryly, trying to contain his fear at the sight of the flames. His hand shakily made its way up to take Bill's. The demon quickly shook the hand before releasing it to pull Dipper close to him for a long kiss. he pulled away with a large smile, "See Sapling, that wasn't so bad."

Dipper mumbled something under his breath before pushing away and leaving for the shack. Mabel and Bill soon followed after him. Dipper stood in the kitchen to start on dinner while the other two sat at the table, "There's just the problem of where you'll sleep. Do you even need to sleep?"

"I can't get into the Mindscape unless this body falls asleep, so yeah. I could always just sleep with my little Pine Tree."

Dipper slowly turned around to see the demon give him a quick wink. His dark eyes narrowed at him, "I'd rather be set on fire than have to share a bed with you."

"I can arrange that!"

"Watch it," Mabel glared at him, "You can either sleep on the couch or the ground. Just for a few nights until we can situate where you'll sleep."

"Alright fine, just keep the pig away from me." his golden eye stared down at the pink lump.

Mabel tapped her fingers against the table before leaving to find spare blankets and pillows. Bill stayed with the boy, his eye lingered all over Dipper's back. His fingers tapped against the wooden table. Dipper hadn't been able to relax whatsoever. His childhood nightmare was sitting right behind him. And less than 5 minutes ago he locked lips with it. A chill ran down his spine. He was disgusted by it, yet his chest felt warm at the idea of kissing Bill again. The demon behind him rested his chin on his hand, leaning more onto the table, "Oh Pine Tree, how sweet of you." the boy slowly turned around.

"What are you ta- can you read my thoughts?"

"Like I said kid, I can override the seal. Tapping into your mind helps me. Plus it's fun to listen to your thoughts."

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose, "Damn it Bill, if you're gonna be living here then don't do that. Stay out of my head as much as you can."

Bill pouted as the brunet turned back around to continue cooking. Mabel walked into the kitchen to sit across from Bill, "The couch is ready to go, but I guess I forgot how tall you are. It might be a bit too small."

"There's always my option."

"No Bill. We both sleep in the attic. I'd rather not have to sleep in the same room as you."

Mabel's eyes narrowed on the demon. His single gold eye was still following Dipper's back, his finger slowly tapping against the table. Mabel clapped her hands together as she stood up, "Okay Dipper, let's switch. I'll finish cooking."

Bill's eye was torn away to glare at her. Dipper turned around confused but didn't argue. He took her place at the table sitting a bit farther from the table than he normally would. His brown eyes remained on his hands that laid in his lap. He could feel Bill looking right at him. He slowly glanced up trying to focus on something behind the demon, "So Bill, tell me about the Mindscape."

"You already know about it. What's there to tell?"

"I know about the one in my head, my Mindscape. But I don't know about the one that you first created for yourself."

"It's dark. Everything's just black and empty and cold. There's a reason I'm feared kid, I only cause nightmares. You see, my realm ins't the most fun. Honestly it's just a blank wasteland. A mind is needed to add things into the Mindscape, the one I came from was made as a makeshift of that. So there is no real mind to give it life. There's nothing to do in the Mindscape other than sit around and die."

"Die? Being in the Mindscape for too long can kill you?"

"In a way, yes. The one that I came from can kill me, the human Mindscape cannot. If I don't use my energy then it eats away at my being and will be the end of me. It's why I terrorize with people with nightmares, it releases energy and keeps me living."

"If you can create a nightmare, then can't you create a good dream?"

"I can but where's the fun in that? Mental fear is one of the most powerful things ever to demonkind. The worse the nightmare, the more energy a demon retains."

"Can't you use Mabel's Mindscape instead of mine? I don't want you running around in there anymore. I can't handle anymore nightmares."

"Your Mindscape is the only one protected from other demons. I'm not the only one that deals with the mind Dipper. If there is no protection on the mind, other demons can et in and attack that demon. I need yours. And I don't have to produce nightmares. As long as I'm in there I can build up energy just from walking around. Plus our deal keeps me from doing any harm, mentally and physically."

Dipper slowly nodded as his eyes slowly fell back down to his lap. Mabel set three plates down on the table. Spaghetti with meatballs. The twins favorite thing to cook. They began digging into the food. Bill poked at the meal with his fork, rolling a meatball around on the plate. Mabel set her fork down to frown at him, "Shouldn't you be affected by normal human needs?"

"Oh I am, but it's not as sensitive as yours is. For me it's more numb than yours is."

"Well eat anyways. I'm not about to wake up in the middle of the night to make you something. And I don't trust you to make something on your own."

"Jeez, is she always like a mom Pine Tree?"

Dipper shrugged. He was too busy with his food to pay much attention to the two. They finished their dinner in silence with Bill only finished 1/4 of the plate. Mabel chose to clean the dishes leaving it up to Dipper to help Bill get situated. He lead the tall man down the hall to the bathroom, "Alright Bill. Here is where you'll wash up and do your personal stuff. I suggest you take a shower before sleeping. It helps cool you down at night. I can get you some extra clothes if you want."

"Yeah sure, sounds good." Bill walked into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Dipper glanced around the small room, "I'll get you a towel." he pushed himself from the doorframe.

He stopped by the laundry room, picking up a clean white towel and walking back to the bathroom. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Bill standing shirtless in the bathroom. Of course the pretty faced demon would have a great body. But that great body was covered in bruises and cuts. Dipper set the towel down on the sink to let his fingers lightly run over Bill's tan skin, "What happened?"

"Oh you know, just come bitchy demons being complete assholes. When I first got into the body, I had no idea what to do. Until I remembered you and your little shack. It took quite a while to get here and that gave other demons the perfect chance to beat me up. Thing is, there's no easy way to kill an Alpha demon. So until they can dig up an ancient spell to get rid of me they're just gonna torment me." Dipper looked up at him, his fingers running over a large scar that ran across Bill's chest, "It's nothing kid. I've gotten use to the pain they bring."

Dipper looked back down, "I'm sorry to hear that Bill, really. Maybe a long shower will help. I'll find some clothes."

Bill smiled as he left, closing the door behind him. He got into the shower, letting the warm water ease his aching body. Sure he could heal himself but the human body did have its limits. The wounds would heal just enough to where he would survive the damage. He couldn't heal to the point of no scars and no bruises. Dipper walked to the stairs noticing Mabel sitting in the living room. Her eyes fell to the floor, ignoring the pictures on the screen, "You okay Mabes?" Dipper's hand rested on the handrail with one foot on the bottom step.

Mabel looked up at the sudden voice, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda on edge I guess. Are you sure we should trust him enough to not kill us while he's here? Maybe it could be a good idea for him to stay in the attic with us. Just until we feel like we can trust him."

"No, no way in hell. I'm not letting that thing into my bed. He'll be fine down here and we're safer if he's not in the room with us."

"Alright fine! But, uh, remind me tomorrow morning that we need to go shopping for him. Why does he have to be so tall?"

Dipper shrugged before making his way up the stairs. He dug through boxes and chests that sat in the corner of the attic. Grunkle Ford always believed that Dipper would be bigger than he is now, which resulted in him buying a few large clothes for him. Sadly, Dipper never became the tall muscular man his grunkle thought he would be (he did have the tall factor down however). It took a while but he eventually found a small amount of clothes. He hopped down the steps with the clothes tucked under his arm. He stopped at the bottom to look at Mabel passed out on the couch with Waddles curled up at her feet. He turned away to continue down the hall to the bathroom. He knocked on the old wood lightly. The door creaked open to a smiling Bill who took the clothes happily. Dipper made his way back to the living room to wake up his twin. Mabel mumbled something to him before dragging her legs up the stairs with Waddles following behind. He took her place on the small couch, flipping lazily through the channels. Bill emerged from the bathroom moments later. He stood in the doorway of the living room to stare at the couch, "Are you kidding me?! This thing is tiny! I'm like twice its size."

Dipper looked over at him, "There's always the floor if the couch is such a problem."

"Shut up." the demon plopped down beside him.

Dipper rested his head against Bill's shoulder, "I'll tell you what, if you clean the gutters tomorrow, I'll let you sleep in my bed tonight."

Bill was quick to sit up and hold his hand out to the boy, "Deal."

"I'm not kissing you again."

Bill pouted, crossing his arms over his chest and falling against the couch, "Then how can you be sure that I'll actually do it? You know how us demons are. We don't play fair unless we're under a deal."

Dipper sighed and grabbed the collar of Bill's shirt. He pulled him close to him, giving him a quick kiss and shaking his hand, "Happy?"

"Very."

Dipper's eyes moved to the clock that hung above the tv, "I'm heading to bed. You can either come now or stay down here to watch tv."

Bill shot up from the couch, already standing by the stairs before Dipper could turn off the tv. He lead the way up into the attic. Bill made his way into the bed first, patting for Dipper to lay beside him. Dipper bit his lip before slowly crawling in. The demon wrapped his arms around Dipper's waist, his nose in the soft brown curls. Dipper rolled his eyes, letting the sound of Bill's heart beat lull him to sleep.

_Dipper sat up in his bed to look around the room. It was a grey world, drained of all colors. Blacks, greys, whites. Nothing bright. The bed beside his was neatly made showing no sign of anyone ever being there. Loud giggles, followed by small screams, came from outside. A pig oinked loudly along with the giggles. Dipper made his way through the boring colored chack to go out the back door. His sister ran around being chased by the fat grey pig. Dipper stood close to the door, watching the joy on her face. A pair of arms wrapped around him as a chest was pressed against his back. A face rested on his shoulder, "Isn't this nice Pine Tree?"_

_Dipper leaned against Bill's body, "Yeah, perfect."_

_Mabel stopped running when she noticed the two looking at her. She smiled brightly before waving to them. This gave Waddles enough time to catch up and rub his wet snout against her bare legs. She took off running with a loud squeal, "Just perfect." Dipper whispered to himself._


	3. First Day With A Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

The sun made its way into the room to shine over their closed eyes. Mabel groaned from her bed, throwing her pillow at the window before burying her head under the blanket. Waddles retrieved the pillow to place it beside her. Dipper breathed in deeply noticing the body beside him. Reality hit him as he remembered his little deal with Bill. The demon's grip tightened around his body as the golden eye slowly opened, "Mornin' Sapling." a smug smile was on his face.

"Yeah, don't forget your cleaning the gutters today. You won't be smiling after that." Dipper sat up to stretch.

Bill's arm remained draped over his legs, still wrapping around his body. Dipper tilted his head to find Mabel's brown tired eyes narrowed at him, "I thought you didn't want that  _thing_ sleeping in your bed."

"I also don't wanna clean the gutters. One night wouldn't kill me."

"Oh Dipper Pines, is that a deal I hear? You really kissed him again? What kind of deal is that? You're getting a hot demon in your bed and a kiss while you're making him clean the gutters. That doesn't sound fair."

Bill raised his head to look at the girl, "Tell me about it Star." he let his head fall back onto the pillow.

A smirk rose to Mabel's face. She slid out from under her sheets to make her way to the bathroom with Waddles close behind, "God damn it, she's not gonna let that go. Alright, let's go." Dipper pat the demon's back, "I need to show you what to do."

Dipper threw the thin sheet off from his body to get up. Bill groaned from the bed. He stuck out his arms motioning for the brunet to return. Dipper chuckled, "Get dressed. It takes a while to clean them. I'll be in the kitchen."

He slipped out of the room allowing Bill to groan loudly alone. Mabel was locked in the bathroom getting ready for her day. The small amount of clothes that Dipper dug up wouldn't last very long for Bill meaning they'd have to go shopping soon. But first, Dipper wanted the demon to clean up the shack a bit. Maybe taking him in will turn out to be a good things for the twins. Dipper wouldn't have to do all the fixing up himself giving him more time to work on his story or just relax. He stood in the kitchen quietly whistling as he began on making breakfast. Mabel was soon sitting at the table with a full plate in front of her. She ruffled her hair with a towel letting it fall down in front of her face and into her lap, "Where's the tall one?"

"He's upstairs sulking. He's already giving up on the deal and it's been like 12 hours."

"Well he's gonna have to get his shit together if he wants to keep living. Waddles," the pig looked up at her, "Go get 'em boy!" the pig took off towards the stairs, his small hooves clacking against the wooden floor.

A loud scream fame from the floor above them. Footsteps began moving around moments later to make their way into the kitchen. Bill stood in the doorway with the pig trotting in behind him, "I told you to keep this thing away from me!" his golden eye was now pitch black and staring at the girl.

"And Dipper told you to get up. Don't think that just 'cause it's your first day we'll be going easy on you. We've got a deal and you're already starting to break it." she began scooping food into her mouth, "How are those clothes fitting you? Me and the girls are going out in a few, I might as well do your shopping while I'm out."

Bill slid into the empty seat at the end of the table, "Eh, they're okay. Maybe a little too tight."

"Got it, one size up." she stuffed the food down her throat as her phone began to violently buzz in her pocket, "I'll see you two later! Try not to make anymore deals while I'm gone!" she winked at her twin before dashing out of the room.

Dipper looked down at his food, letting out a deep sigh, "I'm going to kill her."

Bill perked up, "I can do that for you!"

He glared at the man. Bill smirked before returning to his food. Once they were finished, Dipper cleaned up and took the demon out to the back to stand in front of the shed, "Go in and get the blue ladder."

Bill looked at the messy shed. Things stuck out from all sorts of places. Objects threatening to cut away at your body with one wrong move. He twisted around the sharp objects to find the ladder and safely make his way out. Dipper motioned for Bill to follow him as he made his way to the side of the house, "Alright, all you've got to do is clear the junk from the gutters up there. Make sure you get everything and throw them into the big black bags. The bin is behind the shed. Come in when you're done. Until then, I want you out here cleaning so don't even think about coming back in until then, got it?"

Bill rolled his eye, "Yes mom."

Dipper reached up to hit the back of his head before leaving to go back inside the house. He finished the rest of the dishes before going to the bathroom to clean himself up. He stood in the steam filled room with a towel wrapped around his thin waist and one draped over his head. His brown eyes landed on the empty counter. In his rush to get into the shower before Bill could finish outside, he had forgotten to grab clean clothes. But then again, Bill had barely started on the gutters so there was no way he could be close to done by this point, Dipper obviously had enough time to run up and get dressed. He slipped out of the bathroom to head up to the attic. He slid into the room immediately turning to his small dresser. After a few moments he picked out some clothes and turned around to toss them on his bed. His eyes shifted up to see the blond demon sitting cross legged on the bed.

Dipper's body froze up, "How did you finish already?" his hand clenched tighter on the towel around his waist.

Bill's eye danced over the boy's body, "Oh you know, just used some magic. A snap of the fingers and it's done."

Bill leaned forward on the bed to rest his body against the soft mattress. Dipper rolled his eyes, "Jesus fuck Bill. Can you please leave so I can change?"

Dipper reached forward to pick up the clothes lying on the bed, but instead, the clothes were snatched up by Bill as he stood from the bed, "I could, but hey, I'm a demon with no morals or respect for other creatures. I'll trade you, clothes for the towel." a smirk rose to his lips.

"You've still got your shitty sense of humor. Give me the clothes and get out." Dipper held out his hand.

Bill's smirk was replaced with a cold frown. He tossed the clothes back onto the bed behind him before walking closer to the boy. His hand finding its way to hold Dipper's chin, "I think we both know who's going to get what they want Pine Tree."

Dipper's heart began to race as the demon's face slowly got closer to his. Their lips inches apart, "Bill seriously."

"Seriously what? Your mouth is saying one thing but your mind is begging for another. Which will it be?"

Dipper's eyes flicked down to Bill's lips before looking back up at the golden eye, "Fine."

Bill quickly closed the distance between them. His body pressing against Dipper's as he dropped his hands to the towel. The boy's arms were wrapped around Bill's neck. The demon attempted to slide the towel off the boy. Dipper was pressed too close for him to make much progress before one of Dipper’s hands shot down to grab the towel. He pulled away from Bill. A frown was plastered to his face, “I can't believe I just did that.” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “Please get out so I can change.”

Bill's eye looked down at the boy as he listened to Dipper's thoughts. He slipped out of the room to let Dipper change in peace. Dipper tossed his unneeded towel onto the ground and crawled into bed. His tired brown eyes stared blankly at the floor.  **He's a heartless demon. Not an actual human. He's only here because he doesn't want to die. He doesn't care about you or Mabel, he'll never care. He traumatized you.** Dipper's body went cold as his mind went back to that summer. His eyes slowly moved up to look at the empty bed. The image of Mabel dead, blood dripping down to the floor, her lifeless brown eyes looking at him, appeared in his head. Every nightmare that Bill had given to him came rushing into his head. Tears began streaming from his eyes as the silent crying began. His grunkle was dead because of that monster standing right outside the door, and here he was letting it into his home.

Bill stood outside, his hand fiddling with the end of his shirt as he continued to listen to Dipper's thoughts. The slowly became clouded and dark as the seconds passed by.  **He's dead because of that monster.** Bill's hand moved to push the door open. He peaked his head in to see Dipper shaking on the bed. He walked further in until he was able to sit beside the crying boy. Dipper pushed his back against the wall to keep a distance between them. Bill let out a small sigh before reaching his hand out to place it on Dipper's shoulder.  This caused more tears and Dipper's terror filled eyes to move and look at the blond, "Kid listen, I'm sorry for what I did. I'd take it all back if I could." realization hit him, "You know what, I actually can. Dipper, how about a deal?"

Dipper weakly shook his head. Bill let out a sigh, "Yeah, I should've known that would be your answer, but hear me out. You don't have to do anything, it won't really be a deal. If you're willing to let me inside your head and let me poke around at everything, then I can take all those bad memories and bury them away."

This time Dipper nodded. Bill offered a quick smile before pulling the boy into a deep sleep.  _ **Bill stood in a dark abyss. Glowing lights floated around him as he began walking. He stopped in front of a strangely dim orb. His eye danced around to notice the other dim orbs. He reached out to take it in his hands, "Abiit ad bonum, recondantur."**_

_**Bill continued on through the sea of orbs getting rid of every dim one he saw. Everything was fine until he stumbled on the brightest orb. He took it into his hands to watch the scene play out in front of him. The death of Ford, "Abiit ad bonu-"** _

_**The orb jolted from his hand to take its place back in the abyss. Bill tilted his head as he tried to think, "Oh I see." he turned away from the orb to continue his search.** _

Dipper woke up to see Bill carrying him, "What? What are you doing?"

Bill glanced down at him, "I wanted to go watch tv but I didn't want to leave you alone up there. I didn't think you'd be awake by now." Bill stopped to begin letting him down.

"Wait no, keep carrying me please. I'm comfortable."

Bill chuckled as he kept walking down the stairs. He sat down on the couch with Dipper still in his arms as he turned on the tv. Dipper's head was resting against the demon's chest with his hands in his lap. His fingers began messing with Bill's hand that sat beside him, "Did it work?"

Dipper looked up at him, "I think so. There's only one thing I remember from that summer. Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah, I remember it all like it was yesterday."

"Did you ever stop to think about what you were doing to me?"

"I guess at the time I didn't really care. I was having the time of my life that summer Well, I guess I did for a second think about it. But other than that no, I never thought about how it would affect you."

"You're not gonna do it again right?"

"Deal was I can't hurt you. There's nothing to worry about Sapling. I'm not gonna cause anymore harm to you, deal or no deal. Got it?"

Dipper slowly nodded. Bill's free hand reached up to move Dipper's bangs from his forehead, he leaned down to lightly kiss the brunet's birthmark. Dipper let out a small laugh as the front door creaked open. Bags dropped to the floor as Mabel's soft voice floated through the house, "I'm home! Bill come here, I got you some clothes that you need to try on."

Bill slipped out from under Dipper to help the girl with her things. He took the bags and disappeared into the attic. Mabel walked into the living room to sit beside her twin. Her eyes moved over his face as a frown spread on hers, "What happened?"

Dipper turned his head to look at her, "It's nothing Mabes. Just small thoughts of the past, but Bill got rid of them for me."

She nodded slowly as she leaned back to look up at the ceiling, "I still don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but we made a deal."

Mabel let out a sigh before whistling. Waddles came trotting into the room to hop into her lap. His little pink snout faced Dipper as his large dark eyes looked up at him. Dipper smiled at the fat pig, his hand going to rest on the pig's head. They stared at the tv in silence. Mabel glanced at the clock before getting up to head to the kitchen. Dipper watched quietly as she left. Her presence was soon replaced by Bill's. His eye glaring at the pig as he sat in front of the brunet, "Are you feeling better Pine Tree?" he tilted his head to lean it against Dipper's leg.

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Dipper's hands moved from the pig to Bill's soft blond hair, "You still never told us why you're on the run exactly."

"It's best I don't say. Not yet at least. I'll tell you when you're ready."

"How bad was this thing?"

"Shut up, just relax and watch the dumb tv."

The next voice to speak was Mabel's a while later calling them for dinner. Dipper practically ran into the room with Bill following slowly behind him. Once more a silence fell over them. Mabel and Dipper stood side by side in front of the sink cleaning the dishes. Bill and Waddles retreated to the living room to get in a little bit more tv before sleeping. The pig laid on the ground with his stomach up to allow Bill's feet to rub against his stomach. Dipper walked into the room to look at him, "So, finally warming up to Waddles?"

"I guess he's not that bad. He's got a really warm belly, I like that."

Mabel was next to walk into the room, "He loves belly rubs. Come on Waddles, bed time."

The pig rolled out from under Bill's feet to trot after the girl. Bill frowned, watching the pig leave before looking up at Dipper, "Sleep?"

"Sleep." Dipper nodded as he lead the way up the stairs.

Mabel was already curled into a ball by the time they got into the room. Waddles' back was pressed against hers, soft snoring came from the both of them. Dipper fell onto the bed barely leaving enough room for Bill to squeeze in beside him. Bill's arm immediately went to wrap around the boy's waist, pulling him close to his body. He ran a hand through Dipper's brown curls until he fully fell asleep, "You'll find out in time, je t'aime."

_Mabel stood before Dipper with her usual goofy smile. Baby Waddles was held close in her arms. They were at the Gravity Falls Fair. But this wasn't their first time there. A blonde girl stood beside Mabel, her arm wrapped around the brunette's waist. Mabel began bouncing as she spoke with excitement, "Dipper, look at what Pacifica won for me! It's he just the cutest?" she rubbed her cheek against the pigs._

_Pacifica smiled softly, giggling slightly at the girl. Arms wrapped around Dipper's shoulders. Mabel's eyes looked past her brother. She still held her smile, "Bill look at this cutie!"_

_"Did you mean my cutie?" he pressed a kiss to Dipper's cheek causing the boy to blush._

_Pacifica glared at the demon, "I think my Pines is cuter."_

_The twins looked at each other with large smiles. Both bursting into laughter, "We're twins! We look the same," Mabel spoke between her laughs, "There's no competition."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!! I have almost the entire story revised and something tells me that the chapters won't be as long as they were in the first version so sorry about that!
> 
> Translations:  
> **Latin** "Abiit ad bonum, recondantur." = Gone for good, locked away.  
> **French** "Je t'aime." = I love you.


	4. Pinky Promises Are Better Than Deals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic texts indicates when Dipper's in a dream  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.
> 
> **Warning: This chapter contains cuss words**

A hand brushed his brown curls back. Dipper slowly opened his eyes at the soft touch to see Bill looking down at him. He smiled, his hand continuing to move until it stopped to cup his cheek, "I thought you didn't want me sleeping in the same bed as you."

"Oh shut up. It's comforting to have someone sleep with you. If you've got such a problem with it then you can start sleeping on the couch."

Bill pouted as he rolled to lay on top of him, "Don't threaten me Dipper. You know you'd miss me if I wasn't here with you." he looked at Mabel who was angrily glaring at him and gave her a wide smile.

She groaned loudly, "I swear if this becomes a thing every morning then I'm moving out." she threw off her sheets before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her.

Bill tilted his head up, "What's the plan for today?"

"Nothing really, just some chores for you and that's it. Clean the shed and fold some laundry. Easy stuff."

Dipper wriggled out from under the demon and headed off to his office. Bill spent the next few hours doing his two small chores. When he finished and came back in, Mabel whisked him into her studio to help her. Moments later they began yelling at each other, "Bill I swear! I will stab you!"

"I don't see why I have to be the one to help you! Why can't you use that pink lump?!"

"He's got a name you dingus!"

Dipper made his way to stand in the doorway, "Do I wanna know what's going on?"

Bill looked over at him, "Your sister is abusing me. Make her stop."

"Am not! I needed a model so I could decide what to stitch. He won't stop moving so I keep pricking him with needles."

Dipper walked closer to stand next to his twin, "You did agree to hep out around the shack, without arguing. This is helping out so stop complaining," he looked closer at the sweater, "What are you making?"

"Our Christmas sweaters! It took me a while to finish mine, I've still got to finish yours and now I've got to make Bill one. God knows how long he'll be here."

Bill stuck his tongue out to the small girl, "I hate the both of you."

The twins looked at each other as devilish grins spread on their faces. They turned back to Bill, "We love you too Bill!" the twins pulled him in for a group hug.

"You're both disgusting! Get off me!"

On cue, they both buried their faces into Bill causing the demon to squirm in their arms. Once his body began to relax, they let him go. Mabel turned back to her desk to look over the designs. Dipper looked over the sweater Bill wore. His arms crossing over his chest as he spoke, "You know what, if you hate this so much then you could always come join me in my office. Maybe you could help me on a new story."

Bill's ears perked up, "Story?"

Mabel spoke over her shoulder, "Dipper wrote this amazing book a couple years ago. Really took off with people. You should read it Bill, might catch your interest."

Bill slid the sweater off his body and tossed it to the girl, "Lead the way kid."

Mabel sneered over her shoulder as the duo left the room. Dipper took his usual seat in front of his computer while Bill wondered around the small space. His golden eye flicked around the room. Occasionally he would pick something up to examine it closer. Dipper watched him for a while, "Got any ideas? Try sticking to the paranormal side."

Bill's back was turned to him, "Did you think about mermaids?"

Dipper swore he could feel the demon grinning widely at that statement, "I thought about it until you gave me that nightmare. What the hell was that about anyways?"

Bill turned around to face him, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that but I didn't have much of a choice. I was weak at the time and I needed a quick way to build up energy. Giving you nightmares was the only thing I could think of. I didn't even make them that bad though. But hey, Shooting Star knows how to give inspiration. Why not write about things like Sixer's journals?"

"They'd think I was a lunatic if I published those. Besides, I can't get to the books."

He strode over to the desk, taking a seat on the desk beside the computer, "Why not write abut me? An all-powerful dream demon. People would love it!"

Dipper's mouth opened to protest. His mind began to race around at the idea, "Mabel actually proposed that I write about the events that happened that summer."

"Oh I like that! See Dipper, what did I say? That girl is full of great ideas!"

"But that's the thing. I don't want to relive those memories. I can't even think about that summer anymore since you got rid of the memories!"

"Kid, you might not remember them, but you're still living in them. Your mind is still holding onto what they use to be. They won't fully be gone until you've accepted what happened and moved on for good. Maybe turning it into a book is the way to move on."

Dipper turned to start typing away on the keyboard, "Maybe in a few more years. I do like the idea of putting you into a story. You're the perfect insane maniac that a story needs."

"I'm flattered kid."

Bill kept his eye focused on the screen as Dipper typed the day away. For the demon it took hours, but for Dipper it seemed like only seconds passed through the silence before Bill's chest was pressed against his back. Dipper tilted his head back to see Bill looking down at him with a frown, "So much for not wanting to relive it. I guess this is good in a way though. Start letting go of the past Sapling."

Dipper glanced back down at the screen to quick read over the last page he wrote, "Oh wow, I'm sorry. I guess I just got sucked back into it. Maybe your plan didn't really work."

"My plan did work. It's just that your memories are too deep and painful for it to have fully worked."

Bill moved away from the boy to stand in front of a bookshelf. He looked over each book spine, allowing a silence to grow between them. Dipper began getting nervous at how quiet the blond was being. He reached a hand out to rest on the keyboard, "Hands off Pine Tree. I think a small break is needed. Isn't it time for dinner?"

Dipper glanced at the clock. The demon was right. He stood from the desk and left for the kitchen. Mabel had been putting down the last plate when he walked in, "IS that brain of yours finally working?"

"Yeah, we've got a story going."

Bill never joined them for dinner. The twins cleaned up together leaving the extra plate in the fridge. Mabel drifted off to their room, exhausted from a day's work of sweaters. Dipper stood in the small bathroom staring at his reflection in the mirror. There were no bags under his eyes like his childhood.  **Write about the past and maybe you'll get over it. Or write about the past ad let it ruin your mind again. God, I just want to forget it all.** He let his head fall forward. His hands gripping the white porcelain sink as his knuckles began to turn white, "Ne pleure pas mon amour." arms wrapped around his waist, Bill rested his head on the boy's shoulder, "Perhaps it's time you start letting go."

Dipper looked back up at the reflection. Bill was looking at the real him. His grip on the sink loosened, "Why should I tell you any of it? I mean, you're the one who caused it after all. You know all too well about it." he turned around in Bill's arms to face him.

"I know it from  _my_ perspective, not yours. It's not good for you to keep all of this to yourself. What a better way to start than with the nightmare itself?"

"Listen, I just really can't with it right now. Maybe some other day. I just..I'm just too worn out I guess."

Bill stuck his hand out between them, "How about a deal? You tell me when you're ready and I won't bring it up again until then."

Dipper looked down at the hand then back up at the golden eye. His hand pushing the flame engulfed one back down, "How about we just make a promise?"

"A what?"

Dipper stuck out his pinky finger instead, "A promise. A pinky promise that is. To humans it's like a deal, in a way. I promise to tell you when I'm ready if you promise to not bring it up anymore."

Bill brought his hand back up to mirror Dipper's the boy's finger quickly wrapped around Bill's. His eyes lingered on their hands. Dipper began giggling, "The last time I did this was when I was 16. Me and Mabel promised to never leave each other's sides."

Bill pulled his hand away slowly only to wrap it back around Dipper. Brown eyes made their way back up. Bill smiled fondly at him, "I think it's time we head off to bed."

Dipper nodded, "I'll be there in a bit, I just want to check on something."

Bill's smile grew as he released the boy and slipped out of the room. He waited there patiently for Bill's steps to lighten before pushing himself from the sink. He went into his office to take a quick peek at the story. He leaned closer when he came to the end and saw the strange dashes and dots.

**\-- -.-- / -.. . .- .-. . ... - / .--. .. -. . / - .-. . . / .. / .-- .. ... .... / .. / .... .- -.. / -. . ...- . .-. / -.-. .- ..- ... . -.. / - .... .. ... / - --- / -.-- --- ..- / .. / - .-. ..- .-.. -.-- / .- -- / ... --- .-. .-. -.-- / .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-**

He shrugged, pushing himself from the desk to head up to the attic. Mabel slept curled up in her thin blanket with Waddles snoring at her feet. Bill sat cross-legged in the bed with his back to Dipper, staring blankly out the oddly shaped window. Dipper was too tired to question the demons strange behavior. He crawled in beside him, pulling the thin fabric up to his chin with his eyes still focused on Bill. He hadn't even been phased by the sudden movement beside him. He reached a finger out to poke Bill in the side. The demon turned his head to look down at him, "Tu es mon étoile.” Bill slide to lay down beside him.

He pulled the boy into his arms. Dipper looked up at him, "How many languages do you know?"

"All of them."

"I'm surprised being in a human form isn't causing you to be more human."

"It's complicated kid. I'll explain when you're more awake."

Dipper nodded into the taller man's chest. He angled his head up causing Bill to look down at him, "Je t'aime mon étoile."

Dipper cocked a sleepy brow, "Je t'aime?"

A small yet painful smile found its way onto Bill's face. His hand stroked through the brown curls as Dipper tucked his head back under Bill's chin, "If only my dear."

_Dipper watched in both amazement and disgust as Mabel chugged down a large pitcher of Mabel Juice. They sat at a small picnic table located at a park in their old hometown. Dipper sat across from his twin. Mabel sat beside Candy who sat across from Grenda. Both girls cheered for the brunette as she emptied the thick liquid into her mouth. She slammed the container down and raised her closed fists above her head, "Who's the fucking champ?!"_

_"You are!" Candy and Grenda cried out together._

_Mabel wiped away the remaining liquid from her mouth before turning around. Dipper looked past her to see two blonds standing off in the distance. Mabel stood from the bench to take off towards the two. Dipper watched as Mabel threw herself onto the shorter blonde who then lifted her from the ground to spin her around. She kept an arm around the brunette's waist as the trio walked back to the table Mabel and Pacifica sat down beside Candy, who was licking the inside of the pitcher, while Bill sat down beside Dipper away from Grenda, "You guys missed it. Mabel just chugged down this entire glass of her juice stuff!"_

_Mabel's hands reached out to the basket beside her feet, "I've got another one if you wanna see it."_

_"I don't think that's the wisest idea Star. Remember that time you got high off of Smile Dip? Your juice is much worse than that crap."_

_Her eyes glowed brightly, "Then it's so much better!"_

_She reached into the basket to pull the second pitcher out. Luckily for the group, Pacifica grabbed her arms before she could grab it and kicked the basket away. Mabel frowned deeply at the girl, "I guess blonde people really are the devil."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> "Ne pleure pas mon amour." = Do not cry my love.  
> "Tu es mon étoile." = You are my star.  
> "Je t'aime mon étoile." = I love you my star.  
> The morse code says "My dearest Pine Tree, I wish I had never caused this to you. I truly am sorry. I love you."
> 
> **Special thanks to Opal_Spirit for the translations**


	5. Sweater Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.
> 
> **Warming: This chapter contains cuss words**

Dipper woke up to Bill and Mabel yelling. He dragged his feet into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes, "Espèce de saucisson cru!” Bill glared at Mabel.

A knife was held tightly in his hand. Waddles sat cowering behind the girl. Mabel glanced at the doorway when she heard Dipper yawn, "What's going on?"

"Your psychotic demon just tried to kill my little Waddles!"

"Little?! That sack of meat started it! He bit me!"

Dipper walked closer to them. He slipped the knife out of Bill's hand before placing it on the counter, "Bill you're fine, it's not like one Waddles bite can kill you. Now, who wants to apologize for waking me up so damn early?"

"Brobro it's noon."

Dipper's eyes shot open, "Ugh! I had so many fix ups I was gonna do today. Great. Just fucking great." he padded out of the kitchen and back into the attic.

After quickly getting dressed, Dipper stood outside of the shack with Bill sitting on the porch. Dipper squinted at the old wood that the house was built from, "You know Pine Tree, if you keep doing that your face will get stuck like that."

Dipper glanced at him in anger, "That's just a myth."

"Actually it's not. I met a human once that kept making the same face at everything and it got stuck like that. Last I heard he died with that exact same expression. Poor guy, he had so much potential."

"Yeah sure, okay. I just- come here," Bill stood with a groan, "Tell me, do you think we should change the color? Some parts of the wood are rotting, I think we should replace those. Are you gonna help?"

"If you tell me the color that you want then I can do it all by the end of the day."

"Well look at you, offering to do work all by yourself. I think something close to the original color would be fine. Maybe a little darker, like a smidge darker. Don't forget to replace the old rotted boards with new ones."

Bill gave a quick salute, "You got it."

Dipper walked back into the house to find Mabel sitting in the living room knitting a new sweater. He stopped in the door way, "Have you talked to Pacifica in a while?"

"Uh, yeah actually. We talked on the phone yesterday. She was telling me about her new beach house in California. Said that we should stop by for a visit before summer ends."

"Hmm, noted."

"Also, me ad the girls, like all of the girls, are trying to plan a slumber party soon. Where's Bill at?"

"Outside working on the shack. The place is started to rot and he said he could get it done by the end of the day so."

"Well go tell him that I need him when he's done. I gotta work on the sweaters. And meet me in the studio when you're done with that. I have to do a fitting for you."

Dipper nodded before going back out. He backed up far enough to see Bill standing on the roof. He waved down at the boy when he noticed him, "Hey Sapling! I thought it was about time the dumb sign got fixed too!"

"Uhh, yeah okay, Mabel needs your help when you're done out there."

Bill gave him a big thumbs up and continued on with his work. Mabel hald an almost fully knit sweater in her hands, "I think this'll fit just fine but you know how I am. It'll bug me if I don't make sure before finishing it off."

He nodded as he slipped the sweater onto his body. She stood back to check the size, "I guess I sometimes forget that you're terrifyingly skinny for someone so tall. Are you fine with it being a little bigger?"

"Yeah, I like the bagginess. It looks great Mabes." he slipped out of it to hand it back to her.

Mabel remained in the room to finish up the sweater while Dipper left for his office. With Bill busy he'd be able to make some progress on his story. Bill managed to finish up with his work as the sun was disappearing behind the thick trees. Mabel was sitting on a tall stool, knitting up the rest of Dipper’s sweater. She looked up as the demon walked into the room, “Well, how does the shack look?”

"Like brand new." he sat on her extra stool, "So what's up? Why do you need me?"

"For your sweater! You're really tall so I'm gonna need to do a lot of fittings with it as I go. I was thinking something yellow with like little triangles. Does that sound good?"

"That sounds like me perfectly. You're a genius Star."

"Yeah, I know."

Mabel and Bill spent a few hours working on his sweater before she set down the needles and went to make dinner. Bill made his way into Dipper's office to find the boy slouched over his computer sitting a little too close to the screen. The blond waltz into the room to sit on top of the desk and lay over Dipper's keyboard, "I still don't think that any of this is good for you. How long have you been sitting like this?"

"Uhh, I think most of the day. It doesn't matter though. What do you want Bill?"

"Your sister let me go to make food, so I thought I'd come in here to keep you company. You certainly need it since your only friend is your computer."

"I have friends."

"your sister doesn't count."

Dipper leaned back in his chair, "Oh whatever Bill. You don't have friends either so I don't get why you're on my ass about this."

"Because Pine Tree, I need you in order to live. So your health is important to me. I don't need friends anyway. Demons function best when they're on their own. But humans? You little things are so weak. You need social interaction to live, it's not good for you to stay locked in this room staring at a bright screen for hours. Go out and do something tomorrow."

"You know what, you'd make a decent mom."

Bill reached a hand out to push Dipper's face, "I'm just trying to help, you don't have to give me an attitude about it."

Dipper smiled as he took the hand and began playing around with it, "I'll give you an attitude all I want. Besides, Gravity Falls isn't filled with a lot of people. We all know each other and I don't find many of them to be interesting. I guess I'm just different from them."

"Different is good. It makes you more unique."

"Yeah yeah, now get off my computer, you might break the keyboard."

"That's offensive Pine Tree."

Mabel popped into the room before Dipper could respond. She put two plates onto the desk, "I already ate. I'm heading off to bed now."

Bill was quick to down his food. Dipper on the other hand took his time switching from the food to his story. His brown eyes glanced down at Bill's empty plate, "How about you go do the dishes, I'm sure Mabel left them unclean?"

Bill hopped down from the desk to leave. A few moments later, Dipper slipped his plate into the sink as Bill washed the dishes. He yawned softly, "I'm off to bed."

Bill watched as Dipper slowly began to walk away. He reached out a soapy hand to grab Dipper by his collar and pull him back, "Can I at least get a kiss for doing so much work today?"

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest, looking over the demon's face, "I could punch you instead for keeping me awake right now when I could be sleeping already."

"I think we both know that that would hurt you more than me."

"Alright fine," he stood on his tiptoes to quickly kiss Bill, "Don't be down here too long."

Bill watched with a smile as the boy left the room. Dipper walked into the attic and left his discarded pants on the floor before he crawled into the comfort of his bed. He laid on his side to look at his sister. She looked at him with tired sleepy eyes, "You know what, he's not that bad."

"He's annoying Mabel."

"You're just bitter." he turned around to let her back face him.

He rolled his eyes at her with a sly smile. A sudden warmth pressed against his back as arms wrapped around his shoulders. He tilted his head back to see blond hair. Bill's long legs dangle over the end of the bed. His face was hidden behind Dipper's head, "Are you even tired Pine Tree?"

"Not really, but I already have bad enough sleeping habits."

Bill shifted his body so that his lips could brush against the back of Dipper's neck. A shock went down his spine. Dipper turned around so that, instead, Bill's face was pressed against his chest. Bill still had a smile on his face as he moved his arms down to Dipper's hips and pulled their bodies together. Dipper's arms moved to wrap around the demon's shoulders, "You're a strange demon Bill. I've never heard of one wanting to cuddle with a human."

"You don't know enough about demons to understand. I'm not the only one that's strange kid. What kind of sane person let's a demon live with them?"

"Don't make me question it too much or I might just kick you out."

"Empty threats again. You'd miss me too much. Bonne nuit mon amour. Je t'aime." Dipper hummed as his hand came up to play with Bill's hair.

_Mabel. Her soft curls were pushed away from her face with the soft breeze. Her usual wide eyes were closed from laughing. Small tears rolled down her cheeks. The biggest smile was on her face, one that could cure any sadness. The sun had begun to set behind the trees. Mabel sat at the edge of the cliff that overlooked the small town and let her feet swing in rhythm over the edge. A blond sat beside her, but this time, it wasn't Pacifica. It was Bill. The demon sat beside her, laughing as much as she was. Dipper felt his heart warm up when his eyes rested on the demon's smile. Large and genuine. He fell back onto the ground looking up at Dipper with the same beautiful smile. Mabel's laughter had calmed down enough to look at her twin, "Dipper! You missed it! Bill tell the joke again."_

_**Dipper watched as the happy scene before him slowly began to face from grays to soft bright colors. The view of the trees was replaced with a field of white flowers, tall yet small, "You're always dreaming about your sister."** _

_**He spun around to see Bill standing a few feet away. One hand shoved into his pocket while the other played with the flowers, "She's the closest thing I've got. I thought the Mindscape stayed colorless."** _

_**"Those are the fueled dreams that stay colorless. This right here, this isn't a dream. This is the real Mindscape kid."** _

_**Dipper walked closer to him as he let his fingers graze against the flowers, "I never expected it to be this colorful. I always thought it was just a bland nightmare. But, why are you showing me this?"** _

_**"I get lonely. You're always off dreaming while I'm stuck here wondering around in your head. It gets boring after a while. No one to talk to. Nothing to do."** _

_**"What about recharging your energy?"** _

_**"What are you expecting? Me to be meditating? No, I just have to be present in the Mindscape."** _

_**Dipper nodded slowly as he looked up at the midnight blue sky. Bright lights flashed around through the sky above them. His finger pointed up, "Stars?"** _

_**"Not quite. They're all your happy thoughts and memories. Those help fuel this place and keep it peaceful. Without them, it would be overrun with the bad ones and this place would be a living nightmare for you. It's why I like to target more vulnerable people, like you. It's easier to pull the bad memories out of hiding rather than trying to find them in a more upbeat person, like Shooting Star. She can see a monster and see the good in them. She had a good childhood, lots of friends, never bothered. But you? You're a paranoid person. Didn't have the best childhood. You tend to see the bad rather than the good. That's easy to manipulate."** _

_**Dipper nodded, not taking his eyes from the stars above, "Sometimes it's safer to see the bad before the good. Can I look at one?"** _

_**"Of course, just think about one and it'll come down."** _

_**Dipper looked back at Bill before closing his eyes to think. A star stopped mid flight to float down to the duo. Dipper opened his eyes to see a white orb softly glowing before him. He reached out this hands to hold it. As he looked closer, an image appeared. It was a young Dipper and Mabel in their hometown. They were both sat at the dining room table as their parents told them about their great uncle up in Gravity Falls. The excitement on their faces brought a smile to his. He let go of the orb to watch as it shot back up into the sky, resuming on its path. He looked back at Bill. His head was turned up, his hold eye scanned quickly through all the memories and thoughts. Dipper reached out to take Bill's free hand in his. The demon looked down at him, "Can we go look at the bad ones?"** _

_**The soft look was replaced with something terribly sad, "Perhaps another time. It's not a safe place for you. Not right now at least."** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Espèce de saucisson cru!” = You uncooked sausage!  
> "Bonne nuit mon amour. Je t'aime." = Goodnight my love. I love you.
> 
> **Special thanks to Opal_Spirit for the translations**


	6. Death By Erlking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Waddle's loud oinking was the first thing Dipper heard as he woke up that morning. Bill groaned into the boy's chest as one of his hands began swatting at the pig's snout. Mabel came running into the room with a paper in her hand, "Bro-bro! Get up! You're going to love this I promise! Guess what I just found!" Bill's hand began swatting at the girl instead, "Stop this is serious! The cameras picked up a new creature in the forest!"

Dipper instantly sat up to snatch the paper from her hand. Bill was still holding onto him as he sighed loudly, his head resting in Dipper's lap, "Wow Mabel! This is amazing! I've never seen this thing in Ford's journals before."

"You're very welcome. It was picked up a couple hours ago. If you hurry up you might be able to find it." she bounced out of the room happily with her head held high.

Dipper was eager to get out of the bed and go hunting for the thing. But his plan was ruined thanks to Bill's iron grip keeping him stuck on the bed, "I just want to sleep in for a while longer, why is that so much to ask for?"

"Suck it up Bill. If you get up right now to help me look for this thing then I might just reward you tonight." Bill jumped out of the bed and began digging through his clothes.

In a matter of minutes, the pair was off on their adventure through the forest. His backpack had everything he would need: his journal, a pen, a pencil, a flashlight, some snacks and water, and lastly, Mabel's trusty grappling hook. Bill followed closely behind as Dipper stared intently at the blurry photo, "You're an all-knowing creature, right?"

"Of course."

Dipper held the photo out to him, "Do you know what this thing is then?"

Bill took the paper from him, "Hm, I'm gonna have to guess that it's an Erlking. They're not the nicest creatures. Are you sure you want to look for this thing? I could tell you everything about it."

“I need to sketch it out into my book. This picture sucks.”

“How did you even get this?”

“Oh, Grunkle Ford built special cameras that could register unknown creatures that weren’t in his database and take pictures of them. They’re hidden just about everywhere. Thanks to them, he’s gotten most of the creatures in this forest I think. It’s not often we see a new one anymore. Tell me about this thing though.”

“She’s a pretty simple creature actually. Daughter of the Elf King, have you met him? He’s an okay guy. Could use some teaching if he really wants to take over the world. Anyways, think of her like a siren in a way. She ensnares people to satisfy her desire, jealousy, and lust for revenge. She looks like a rotting hag, but her eyes are what hypnotize people. I really don’t think that we should look for her.”

“I promise we won’t get to close. I just need a quick sketch of her,” DIpper pulled his journal out from his backpack, turning through the pages until he found a clean empty one.

Bill peeked over at him, “The author is also an artist. Color me surprised.”

Dipper chuckled, “Yeah, I guess Mabel wasn’t the only gifted one in the family. Although she’s better at a lot more art related things than I am. I can only draw.”

“Still better than most people.”

“Do you think you could just like, I don’t know, find her?”

“I’d love to, but I don’t know her aura. There’s too many magical things in this forest so it would be almost impossible to pinpoint which one is hers.”

“So much for being ‘all-knowing’.”

“I will roast you Pine Tree.”

Dipper let out a small laugh before Bill stopped him from walking. His eyes trained forward to see the creature in a clearing. Dipper quickly began sketching the creature down in his journal. Bill’s eye remained on the Erlking. The strange thin creature was preoccupied with a bird on a nearby branch. Bill’s single eye widened, “Um Dipper, I just remembered something very important about this thing.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s blind so they rely heavily on smell and hearing. We’re upwind.”

Dipper looked up at the creature to see that it’s pale face was now turned towards them. A deadly grin on her face, “Well hello there.”

Dipper felt a hand latch around his wrist. Bill began pulling the boy to run with him, “Why are you just now telling me this?!”

“It slipped my mind! I’m sorry!”

Dipper took a daring glance over his shoulder. The Erlking was a few feet behind them. As Dipper looked forward, his world went tumbling. A pain shot through his ankle as Bill came to a stop. His brown eyes trailed down to his leg to see that his ankle was twisted, “Fuck.”

Instantly he felt his body being lifted from the ground, “Fuck Pine Tree, did you really have to do this?”

“Fuck off Bill!”

Dipper looked at the creature. She stood before the two. A twisted grin was on her thin willowy face as her black eyes looked down at Dipper. Her tangled raven black hair was grown down to her waist, half covering her face. Her skin was white and rather leathery looking. Claws grew from her thin bony fingers, flexing as she got down to the ground. Her sharp teeth bared at him as she got onto all fours, her eyes still focused on him. In an instant, her thin body leapt forward. Dipper shut his eyes as he let out a blood curdling scream. A body panted beside him. He peaked one eye open to see Bill lying over his lap, breathing heavily. His hands felt around on the ground to feel the rough wood floor. He opened the other eye to find Mabel running into the living room, “What happened?!”

His eyes left Bill’s body to look at Mabel, “We found the creature. It chased after us and almost killed us! But I guess Bill teleported us back?”

Bill rolled off of Dipper’s legs to look up at the girl, “This. Idiot. Almost. Got. Us. Killed.”

Mabel looked down at the demon, “Right, okay, I’ll be in the studio then?” she slowly backed out of the room.

Dipper crawled closer to sit beside him, “You okay? Did that take all of your energy?”

Bill slowly nodded, “Mindscape. Please.” with that, Dipper collapsed to the floor.

**_Dipper stood along in the field of flowers. Bill was nowhere in sight. He spun around until he noticed a strange patch of flowers. He walked closer to see Bill lying on the ground. His breathing had began to normalize. Dipper sat down beside him to mess with the blond hair, “This isn’t the first time you’ve teleported.”_ **

**_“I teleported by myself from outside your room to your bed. That’s literally 5 feet of distance. That doesn’t take much out of me. What does take a lot out of me is transporting TWO people a far distance. You’re not waking up for the next two days Sapling.”_ **

**_“At least wake me up for 5 minutes so I can drag you upstairs. I’d rather not sleep on the ground for that long.”_ **

Dipper woke up to see Bill staring at him in anger. He pushed himself from the ground to walk to the studio, “Mabel, Bill’s on the verge of dying from lack of power. We’re just gonna sleep for a couple days so don’t freak out if neither of us wake up.”

“Oh okay then.”

Dipper dragged the heavy demon into the attic. He barely managed to get him into the bed before collapsing in beside him. He snuggled close to Bill, “I dropped my journal out there.”

“Don’t.”

**_Bill remained lying dead on the ground. His angry expression had at least softened up at this point, “If you knew this would happen then why do it?”_ **

**_Bill’s head rolled over to look at the brunet, “Would you rather be dead?_ **

**_“But you almost did die.”_ **

**_“I’m fine. I know my limit. Are you seriously worried about a demon?”_ **

**_“I’m worried that I won’t have anyone to do my chores for me!”_ **

**_Bill slowly held up his middle finger to the boy. Dipper couldn’t help but giggle. Bill’s arm fell to lie over his face while the other rested on his stomach. Dipper’s fingers found their way back into the demon’s hair, “Do we really have to be here for a couple days?”_ **

**_“If you really don’t wanna be around me then I can send you off to a dream.”_ **

**_“How about a short one?”_ **

_Dipper stood before the tall pale creature once more, but this time, she didn't sprint towards him. She remained a few feet away, just watching him with glazed eyes. She tilted her head, “Interesting thing you are. A human, but with magical. How peculiar. Tell me about yourself.”_

_“I don’t understand, I don’t have any magic. I’m just a plain human.”_

_“Oh I see, the demon is lending his magic to allow a safe conversation. Why do you wish to talk?”_

_“Uhm, well, you see here, I like to study magical creatures, like you. I wanted to learn more about you but you chased after me and tried to kill me. Do you mind answering some questions?”_

_“Well if I were to be honest with you, I would kill you right now if it weren’t for your pet,” her scrawny finger pointed a yellow glowing object sitting behind Dipper, “He’s the only thing keeping you safe, so keep that in mind. But yes, I always love an audience.”_

_“Oh great I guess. Why feed on humans and no other creature?”_

_“Magical beings tend to have a certain taste to them. I think you’d refer to is as ‘fake’ perhaps? I don’t enjoy it too much. But humans have an addictive taste and smell to them. It’s heavenly.”_

_“Interesting. Alright, uhm, don’t take this the wrong way but why exactly do you look like that?”_

_“I haven’t eaten in awhile. A fresh kill restores me to my youthful look, but eventually that will wear off and I become this creature once more. Humans tend to taste better when they have fear on them, so becoming like this actually helps in my favor. Not so much for your kind.”_

_“May I take a closer look?” she gave a small nod, “Have you ever broken a bone from being so thin?”_

_“I’ve done it a few times, but I can heal quickly. How long does it take one of your human bones to heal?”_

_“It can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 10 weeks depending on how bad the damage is.”_

_“You see, mine takes a few minutes to a day at most. I never understood why your bodies were so delicate.” her white eyes shifted to the yellow glow, “Your demon is getting jealous.”_

**_The Erlking faded away to reveal the field of flowers. Dipper was still sitting beside Bill as he put his hands on his hips, “So, you’re jealous hm?”_ **

**_“The cunt doesn’t know what she’s talking about, I was just getting bored.”_ **

**_“Sure you were.” Dipper’s eyes began to move around the vast field, “Do you think you could add more to this place?”_ **

**_“It’s your mind, your rules.”_ **

**_“My rules huh? Does that mean I could turn this place into a giant bounce house?”_ **

**_“Wish and you shall receive my dear Pine Tree.”_ **

**_With a blink of his chocolate brown eyes, the flowers were replaced with a bouncy plastic, “Oh this is amazing. Could I also turn you into a puppy?”_ **

**_Bill’s eye shot to the boy, “Don’t you fu-”_ **

**_Dipper let out a small scream as he picked up the small golden retriever, “You make the cutest puppy ever!”_ **

**_The small puppy had one large golden eye while the other one was kept shut by a scar. A tiny pink tongue poked out from it’s little mouth. Short floppy ears dangled on the sides of it’s head. His little tail laid flat against his body. Dipper held the small creature close to his chest as he slowly pet it’s soft head, “I think I’m gonna leave you like this.”_ **

**_The puppy let out a low growl before jumping back down to the ground. Dipper frowned as Bill returned to normal, “As much as I appreciate the affection, I’m too exhausted kid.”_ **

**_Dipper leaned back, “I don’t get it. Why use up all that energy just to save me? I mean, why not just let the thing kill me? You’ve always got Mabel’s Mindscape to use.”_ **

**_“Your sister would fry my ass if I ever came back to the shack without you. Do you really think she’d let me stay if I didn’t try to save you? You’re the only reason she’s letting me stay. If you died she’d kick me out and I’d end up dying as well.”_ **

**_Dipper felt a small pain in his chest, “So, you only saved me to save yourself.”_ **

_**_“Hey don’t take it personally kid. Just because I look human doesn’t make me one. I’m still a cold blooded demon._ ** **_Mais cela ne m'empêche pas de t'aimer.”_ ** _

**_“Why do you feel the need to speak a different language with me?”_ **

**_“It’s fun to watch you get upset over it.”_ **

**_Dipper crossed his arms over his chest. The bounce house dissolved back to the field of white flowers, “Fuck you,” he quickly got up and walked away._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Mais cela ne m'empêche pas de t'aimer." = But that doesn't prevent me from loving you.


	7. They're Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Bill looked down at the brunet with a frown, "You turned me into a dog yet you're the one getting mad?"

"You're the one who wouldn't let me have fun."

Bill sat up, "First of all, you shouldn't have done that! Second, you're seriously the one getting mad?!"

Dipper copied Bill's action, his hands shooting up as he spoke, "You couldn't just give me like five more minutes with you like that?! You were so much better as a dog!"

"You son of a bi-" their heads snapped to the door as it creaked open, "What Star?!"

She put her hands up in defense as she slowly backed away from the door. Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose. Bill looked at him with a small smile, "Feeling rested?"

"Not anymore. You know what, for screaming at me right after waking up, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

Bill's smile was replaced with a horrified look, "What if someone breaks in and tries to kill me?"

"You're a demon, you'll be fine." Dipper threw off the sheets before leaving the room.

Waddles came trotting out of the kitchen with a towel held in his mouth. Dipper looked down at him as he turned the corner into the room. Mabel had spent the morning baking while the two slept. Flour covered every inch of  the small room. Pans were thrown into the sink and left in stacks on the dining table. Dipper looked over the counters to see pastries boxed up. Mabel turned around to face him as she held a metal bowl in her hands. Flour and icing covered her from head to toe, "Hey Dip! It's about time you guys got down here."

"Please tell me you plan to clean all of this up. And why are you baking so much?!"

Bill emerged behind him, his eye wide as he saw the state of the kitchen. Mabel grabbed one of her cookies and handed it to the demon, "Here, try this out. You seem like you'd like snickerdoodles. The girls are finally coming back into town tomorrow! They'll be staying a couple days here. And everybody knows how much they love my baking, so I whipped up a buffet for them."

Bill began bouncing from the cookie, "Star this is amazing! But, uhm, who are the 'girls' exactly?"

Dipper let out a sigh as he threw his head back to rest against the demon's body, "The girls would be Grenda, Candy, Wendy, and Pacifica. Mabel, how do you expect to fit all those people in this shack? There's barely enough room for the three of us."

"Easy peasy bro! There's some cots in the shed. Bill, I need you to go get them and dust them off for me. I'll be setting them up in the living room. You'll have the attic all to yourselves tomorrow night."

Dipper's body grew cold. He leaned off the demon and went to hold his sister by her shoulder's, "Please don't leave me alone with this thing."

Bill stuck out his tongue as he left the room. Mabel giggled at her brother, "You'll be fine. Plus I need you to keep Bill distracted while they're here. The only one who actually knows about what happened that summer is Wendy. The last time I said 'Bill Cipher' around her, she went on a three hour rant about how she'd kill him if she ever saw him again. I don't want him freaking out my friends. You let him in, he's your responsibility. By the way, I think we should call him something else when they're here. Maybe Will?"

"Yeah fine, okay. Just make sure you clean this place up when you're done or else you'll be the one who's getting kicked out." Dipper stormed out of the kitchen and out to the shed. 

Two cots sat against the wall of the shed. Dipper looked over them as Bill came out with another one, "You know Pine Tree, I don't get why they can't just have girl time at one of Pacifica's places. Fitting five cots into that little room doesn't sound very likely." he leaned against the wall, dusting his hands together.

Dipper looked up at him, "Yeah I know. Wait, how do you know Pacifica has a lot of homes?"

"Kid, really? I lived in your head even after you thought you go rid of me. I know everything about your friends and your life after me. Grenda is the big loud crazy one, pretty cool girl though. Candy is the little quiet one with the glasses, she seems a little weird but hey what can you do. Wendy. Red. And Pacifica Northwest, the rich one who has a home in almost every town in America. Can't stand her honestly, I don't get why your sister likes her. And Red, making empty threats towards a demon. God do I know that woman. How's that crush of yours anyways? Still wanna bang her?"

Dipper's face began to turn red. His eyes shot to the ground, "Shut the fuck up Bill. And for your information, I stopped liking her the moment I got back from Gravity Falls. I uhh, got back home, went to school, met someone and realized that I'm gay." he fiddled with the hem of his shirt."

Bill let out a low chuckle, "I'm not surprised. I mean, by the way you're always trying to flirt with me, too obvious."

Dipper slowly looked up at him. He let a small smirk rise to his lips, "In your dreams Cipher. Now get back to work," Dipper made his way back into the kitchen, "No one in this house is sane!"

"What are you expecting? We've kinda got a demon living under our fucking roof!"

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest as his sister set down a tray of freshly baked cookies, "Excuse me, but I remember you clearly saying a few nights ago that he's not that bad."

"At least I'm not the one trying to constantly make out with it!"

"I can't. I just..why are you like this?"

"Outta my kitchen buster."

He threw his hands over his head as he slowly walked out of the room, their eyes not breaking until he turned the corner. He plopped down on the couch, he watched as a little bit of dust rose from the old cushions. He tilted his head back before screaming the demon's name. He heard the back door slam as footsteps pounded towards him. Bill stood in the doorway with his arms tightly crossed over his chest, "The fuck do you want?! I'm trying to do something already! I'm fucking burning out there! How about you get up and fucking do it yourself?!"

"Oh I'm sorry, do I need to remind you that this a part of your deal to live?" Bill opened his mouth to say something but shut it slowly, "That's what I thought, I need you to dust the house for me. Like make sure that it's clean for tomorrow but don't touch the kitchen. That's Mabel's job."

“Jesus it’s like I need to start calling you Master from now on. Yeah sure, I’ll get to that.” Dipper watched in disgust as he walked away.

Mabel soon stood in the doorway with a large grin, “Master?”

“Shut it dust bucket. What time will they be here tomorrow?”

“Pretty early. I’ll just sleep down here tonight so I don’t disturb either of you in the morning.”

Dipper turned his attention to the pig sitting in front of him. Waddle’s tilted his head as his pink tongue peeked out from his mouth. Dipper also stuck his tongue out in response. He stood to go to his office. It was night by the time he emerged from the room. Voices sounded from the living room. Mabel was setting up living room for her and her guests with the help of Bill. Dipper raised a brow at his sister’s expression. She normally held a neutral look or frown, but this time she was actually smiling? “So Grenda’s new man was trying to tell her that she couldn’t have too much fun these two days. He was spewing things of how he couldn’t be sure that other guys would try something. Like don’t get me wrong, I like that he’s trying to be protective of her, but doesn’t he seem a little weird about it?”

“Totally. This is her first time being with all of you in a while. He shouldn’t be trying to hold her back from having the time of her life. If he really trusted her then he wouldn’t be worrying about anything. Maybe she should think about their relationship. He might turn into a controlling boyfriend and no one likes that.”

“You see, that’s what I was trying to tell her! But no, she claims that there’s nothing wrong. Oh, speaking of bad relationships, Wendy and Robbie.”

Bill dropped the blanket from his hands, “No,” she nodded with a disgusted look, “You’d think she would’ve learned by now. It’s been what? Seven fucking years and he hasn’t changed.”

"She claims that she loves him! Oh, I wish you'd see the way she just swoons over him sometimes. It makes us all so sick," she glanced over at the doorway, "But maybe we shouldn't talk abut her. We might make Dipper jealous."

"Very funny Mabel. She's like a sister to me at this point." Dipper sat on the couch closest to Bill.

The five cots were set up to lat in a circle, but of course still laid to let them watch tv comfortably. Mabel stood by the cots closest to the tv as she spread the sheets over and laid down the pillows. Bill did the same, but he stood closer to the couch. Dipper watched patiently as Bill slowly got closer to him. He reached out to grab Bill's hips and pull him over. He rested his head into the demon's side, "You've had all day to do this, why do it so late?"

Mabel looked at the shocked demon before looking down at her brother with wide eyes, "I uhh, just barely finished with cleaning the kitchen. I didn't want to make him do this alone, but I guess if you're so tired then just take him. I can handle the rest."

Dipper jumped up and walked to the stairs with Bill behind him. Bill hopped into the bed, lying on his back as he looked up to the ceiling. Dipper walked past the bed and over to the window, his gaze looking over the forest. Bill stood to stand behind him, "Are you okay little Sapling?"

Dipper shrugged. He slowly turned around to face Bill. His face was unreadable as he reached out to hold Bill by his hips again. His eyes refusing to look up at the gold eye, "I guess what I wrote today for the story had me thinking a bit. I might have to start completely over with a new idea."

"It can't be that bad. What's the problem with it?"

his eye never moved from the boy’s face, just scanning for an emotion.

“Um, I thought it would make the story more interesting to make the main character romantically involved with the demon in the story. I mean, love stories sell like crazy especially when it’s about supernatural stuff. But I just don’t know anymore.”

“I think you should keep it. The story sounds interesting.”

Dipper finally looked up at the gold, “Yeah, maybe.” he moved closer to get rid of ay extra space between them.

Bill’s arms wrapped around him, “Am I finally gonna be rewarded?”

Dipper chuckled, “This is your reward.”

Bill let him go and went back to the bed. He faced the wall leaving his back to Dipper. Dipper rolled his eyes before crawling in after him, “Be mad at me all you want, see if I care.” he wrapped his arms around Bill’s waist as he rested his head against his back.

_Mabel ran around the totem pole with sparklers. Bill sat on the porch with his gaze focusing up at the sky. Waddles sat beside him, his hand lazily petting the animal. Dipper sat beside him with his head resting on the man’s shoulder, “Fireworks should be going off soon, right?”_

_Dipper tilted his head up, “Yeah, there’s a better view from the roof.”_

_“I’m fine here. Shooting Star wants to blow shit up too, we gotta make sure she doesn’t burn something.”_

_Dipper’s eyes trained slowly as he watched the girl. Her smile never faded from her face even when the sparklers died out. She ran to a box and began digging through it. She pulled something small out and ran to the middle for space. She ran back to the porch as the firework was lit. Bill’s eye was still looking up, completely ignoring the small amount of light before them. Mabel’s eyes lit up. She began heading back to clean up for the next one. Dipper’s gaze was caught by the black car pulling into their property. The sudden honk earned the other two’s attention along with the pig. Bill raised a brow as Mabel took off towards the car. Pacifica stepped out holding a large box, “I’ve got a delivery for one Ms. Pines.”_

_Mabel snatched the box from her to inspect its belongings. The blonde walked to the trio sitting on the porch, “Are you guys just gonna sit there or are you gonna help us fuck shit up?”_

_“I just wanna watch the big ones.” Bill looked away from her earning a large frown._

_She turned to Dipper next, “I don’t wanna take away from Mabel’s fun. Just don’t set my shack on fire.”_

_She turned away with a wave, “Will do dad.”_

_Bill snorted, “Dad?”_


	8. The Girls Are Back Baby!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Screaming. Just a high scream. Dipper groaned as the body beside him sat up. His arms were still latched around him, "Bill make it stop."

The body slipped away from his grip. Bill slowly made his way down the stairs to see Mabel jumping in excitement by the front door. He hopped down the last few steps before stopping at the bottom, "Hey Star, do you mind being quiet? We're trying to sleep."

Mabel turned around to quickly look at him before turning back to the window, "I'm sorry but come here! You need to formally meet some people." she dashed to the final step to grab him by his wrist and pull him outside.

Three new cars sat in the front. An old red pickup truck held Wendy. Her outfit choice didn't seem to chance much other than her exchanging the old boots for converse. A pink beetle held Candy and Grenda. Candy still wore the same large glasses but she sure did grow up. Grenda had her big frame but this time it was just pure muscles. A black bentz was the last car, it of course held Pacifica. The blonde had never changed. Candy and Grenda were the first to run over to them. Wendy soon after and Pacifica last. Candy was all over Bill the moment she was beside him. Mabel couldn't help but giggle, "Guys this is Will. Will, this is Candy, Grenda, Wendy, and Pacifica." she glanced down at the small girl, "I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you Candy. He's with Dipper."

The groups jaws hit the floor, all except Pacifica. “He’s gay?!” Grenda was the first to speak through the shock.

“It was pretty obvious.” Pacifica retorted.

“I like you Blondie. Well, I better get up to the royal ass pain.” he waved to the group before going back in.

Dipper was facing the other bed as Bill walked back in, his eyes half open, “Are they here?”

“Yeah, it’s crazy. None of them knew you were gay except Blondie. Oh and your sister told them that we’re dating, so that’s a thing.”

Dipper shot up from the bed, “Are you fucking serious?!”

Bill shrugged, “It’d make more sense than telling them the truth or any other lie. Wouldn’t you be asking all sorts of questions if one of them if they had a stranger just living with them? A boyfriend moving in makes sense. Unless you want me to march my ass down there and tell Red the truth.”

“No, but I also don’t want them to think I’m dating you. Of all people too!”

“I’m gonna try to not take that as an insult. It’s only for two days Pine Tree. Not much acting. Besides, you’re always hanging onto me anyways.”

“That’s because you’re tall and I can use you as a crutch when I get tired.”

Bill reached out to smack the side of Dipper’s head, “Go make me some breakfast you dick.”

Dipper rubbed his head as he lead the way down the stairs. To their surprise, the living room was empty. The noise was instead coming from the kitchen. The girls crowded around the table snacking on Mabel’s pastries and some coffee. Dipper froze up in the doorway when their eyes all locked onto him Bill pushed past the boy to get to the stove. Mabel moved to give space as her seat as Grenda motioned to the chair, “Dipper dear, take a seat. We need to talk.”

Dipper slipped into the same seat as his sister, “Did I do something wrong?”

Candy leaned forward as she pushed her glasses up, “Why didn’t you tell us you found a hot piece of ass?! I mean look at him! I need to know your secrets please!”

Dipper could feel the heat spreading through his face. Bill turned around to answer for him, “Dip gives the worst advice, I wouldn’t listen to anything he says. But I’ll tell you what, it certainly wasn’t his good charms.”

The girls began giggling. Dipper’s brown eyes narrowed at him, “Cook your food Will,” Bill offered the boy a wink before turning around, “Anyways, I guess we just sort of connected in a way. Somehow he fell for me. It’s not easy to explain. I guess all I can say is to just be yourself.”

Candy nodded as she leaned back against the chair, her eyes taking a daring glance at Bill. Pacifica was the next one to lean forward as she sat on the other side of Mabel, “But why him?”

“What do yo-”

“He just seems like a dick.”

Mabel gave a smile, “Oh he is, but he’s Dipper’s dick.”

“I hate you all.” Dipper slipped out of the seat to stand beside the taller man.

Both of them tried to ignore the girls as they spoke, “Wanna just go to the diner instead?”

“Fuck yes,” Dipper groaned as Bill slipped out of the room, “We’re going to the diner for breakfast. We’ll see you girls later!” Dipper followed quickly behind the demon.

They dashed out of the shack before any of the girls could even say bye. Dipper set up his menu to let him hide behind it, out of Bill’s sight. His eyes scanned the black bold letters as he looked for something to satisfy his hunger. His thoughts from last night still rang in the back of his head. His gaze still refused to meet the demons even after their waitress had returned to take their orders. Bill’s eye danced over the Dipper’s face, “Is something wrong kid?”

"I guess the story is taking over my thoughts. Can you influence a dream just by being around it? Like you're not even trying to mess with it, can it still happen?"

"Yes, or at least yes in a way. It depends on the relationship with the human. If I have no connection with the human then my presence doesn't disrupt the dream. If there is a connection then it depends on the tension between us. If there's both hate then the dreams are not affected. If there is anything of a mere friendship or more then the dream will be affected. Let me give you an example. Me and Star. There's no hate, no love. Just tolerance for each other. With me being in the same room as her, there's a high chance her dreams have been happier than usual. But let's say I was around someone who loved me, their dreams would always be about love, nothing else. Does that make sense?"

Dipper nodded, "Yeah, thanks."

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. I noticed something when you first came back. For a good week you gave me nothing but nightmares. And then you moved in and there are no nightmares and my insomnia is basically gone."

"The nightmares were for two things. One because I needed energy and causing nightmares is the fastest way to get it. Two is that I was in a close enough proximity for your mind to feel my aura. You're still traumatized by the past, the moment you sensed me your mind went into panic mode and started producing nightmares as an old habit."

"And the cured insomnia?"

"Well I can't have you awake if I want to recharge now can I? I pull you into the Mindscape every night and keep you there until morning. Nothing much about it."

It took them a couple hours to finally stand in front of the shack again. They could hear the girls screaming from inside. Bill stood behind Dipper, urging him to go in first. Dipper carefully walked in to find the girls sitting in the living room talking about life. The couple slipped into the hall and booked it for the stairs. An arm reached out from the living room to grab both of them by their collars and drag them back into the room, "Oh hell no. Now that you're back you can both join us."

Grenda dropped them both off at the couch before taking her seat back in the circle. Mabel turned around to look at them with her big brown eyes, "We're playing truth or dare, wanna join?"

Bill took a glance at Dipper, whose arms were crossed tightly over his chest, before sliding off the couch and into the circle. Dipper rolled his eyes at them as he stood, "I'll be in my office."

Bill's hand reached out to grab him by the ankle, "Babe no, you can't just leave me with them."

Dipper froze up at the name. He glared at the demon, who happily smirked at him, while he fell down to sit beside him. Mabel clapped her hands together, "Alrighty then! Grenda darling! Truth or dare!"

"Hit me with that dare!"

"I dare you to lick that deer bust! Make sure it's the nose!"

She nodded before completing the dare. They all made noises as she completed her task. "I choose Pacifica!" she returned to her spot on the floor, "Truth or dare woman."

"After watching that I'm gonna have to say truth."

Grenda smiled, a little too widely, "Great! Is it true, that you Pacifica, are the first Northwest in history of Northwest's to be a homosexual?"

The girls all gasped, eyes on her. She bit her lip yet her blank expression never changed, "This is going to slightly damage our friendship, but yeah, it's true." Pacifica gave them a nervous before locking eyes with Dipper, "Dip, you're my victim. Which do you chose?" the blonde's face said nothing as to what she could be planning.

"Uhm, truth?"

"It's time you both tell us what we've been dying to know. How did you two meet?"

"Uhm, we uhh, you know. We.."

Bill threw his arm over Dipper's shoulder, "This is my favorite day ever. So it was maybe four years ago I think, maybe a little less, but anyways, it was a beautiful warm summer day at a very packed beach. I had just arrived at the beach with a group of my friends and lucky for us there was a big enough space right by the water for us and our things. My friends are ecstatic and can't wait to go into the water so they just left me with the stuff like assholes and that's when I saw him. I was setting up out umbrella when I saw this beautiful pale boy with the brownest curliest hair ever. He was laying down on a blanket a few feet away from me hiding under his own umbrella with his face buried in one of his dumb little books. I swear to you I spent a good 10 minutes just staring at him before he looked over at me and smiled. It was then, in that moment, that I wanted him and only him. And look at us now, three years later and happy as hell." 

Dipper looked at him with a small but loving smile. The girls let out a small aww before continuing on with their dares. Bill looked down at him, returning the smile. Dipper leaned against Bill, listening to the girls crazy dares. The smile remaining on his face as the day progressed on. Towards lunch, the girls headed to the kitchen leaving Dipper and Bill in the living room. They climbed back onto the couch with Dipper's head resting in the demon's lap, "How did you come up with such a nice story that fast?" Dipper's hands messed around with one of Bill's.

Bill's other hand ran through the brown curls, "Sometimes you just gotta wing it. It was pretty obvious that you weren't gonna come up with anything."

"Well when you're put on the spot like that yeah, it's not easy." Dipper's head tilted back when he heard Pacifica walked back into the room. She sat on the ground in front of them, "Can I ask you something about Mabel?" her blue eyes remained focused on her hands.

Both raised a brow at her, "Sure?"

"Has she said anything about me lately?" 

"Other than announcing that you were coming today, she hasn't said a thing." 

The boys watched as her expression darkened. She slowly nodded before leaving the room. Bill looked down at Dipper with a devilish smile, "Does she-"

"I think so."

Within moments, the girls all crowded back into the room. They sat around the tv, all of them holding a can of soda and a small bowl of popcorn. Mabel looked at them with a smile, "You two can go do whatever you want now. We're watching chick flicks"

In the blink of an eye Dipper was dragging Bill out of the room and into his office. Bill sat on the desk beside him, "How much progress have you made?"

"Honestly not a lot. I guess it's a bit of a personal story so it's making it a little difficult to write. That's a lie, it's making it very difficult. I'm doing what the both of you keep suggesting and I'm turning that summer into a story, but tweaking it a bit. So it's not the easiest thing to do."

"But Sapling, I got rid of all your memories of that summer."

"Yeah you did, but I can still feel how I felt back then. Just making things up using the same emotions I felt then to write to it."

"I guess that's one way to move on."

Dipper nodded before turning to his computer. For the next two hours he remained silent as he typed away. Bill spent most of his time sitting on the small chair in the corner reading through some of Dipper's books. After what seemed like forever for the demon, Dipper finally leaned back in his chair, taking his hands off the computer, "If only."

Bill set down the book to look at him, "If only what?"

Dipper's eyes looked at him in surprise, as if he had forgotten that anyone else was in the room with him, "Oh it's nothing. It's just that Mabel's been dreaming of being the flower girl at someone's wedding. She knows that her friends will chose her as a bridesmaid so she's got to live her life never living her dream. I guess thats what happens as you get older."

"Why not make her the flower girl at your wedding?"

Dipper scoffed at him, "Are you serious? Me? Getting married? That won't happen, I'm not a social butterfly like Mabel is. She knows how to make friends and have long relationships with people. I'm the one that knows how to have a one night stand and push people away."

"You haven't pushed me away."

"I-" he looked thoughtfully at Bill, "Yeah, I guess. Maybe I'm finally breaking old habits."

Bill stood from the chair, placing the book back on the shelf, "Don't stay here all night kid. I'm gonna go hang out with the girls for a bit. I wanna see what this 'chick flick' thing is." he waved a small goodbye before leaving the room.

Dipper felt his smile fade as he returned to his story. It took a while but finally there was a loud scream from the living room. He dragged his feet to the room to find the girls huddled up on the ground, all hugging each other and hiding their faces from the tv. Bill sat on the couch with a large smile. Dipper looked at the tv to see an old horror movie playing, "So much for chick flicks. What are you making them watch?"

Mabel waved a hand at him, "Shh, go away."

He backed out of the room with a small sigh. Rather than going back to his office like he wanted to, he found himself sitting outside on the porch with the pig beside him. Waddles laid beside him with his head on the brunet's lap, "You know Waddles, I've always loved the sunset. There's just so many different colors yet they somehow blend together so perfectly, in such a perfectly soothing kind of way. A sunrise is nothing compared to this. It's like a sunrise is screaming at you with really bright annoying colors. But a sunset is like that long tight hug that puts you back together," he looked down at the pig, "God I'm going crazy."

"Look at you Pine Tree, being a little poet or some shit." Bill plopped down beside him, keeping a good enough distance from the pig.

"How'd the whole chick flick go?"

"You know, it wasn't too bad. It was kinda cute, but really predictable. Horror movies are still the greatest genre out there."

He rolled his eyes, "Of course you'd say that. Do you think we should cook dinner for them?"

"Yeah, Mabel sent me out here to tell you that."

Dipper sighed before standing up and heading back in. Bill and Waddles followed him to the kitchen. The blond sat at the table, glaring at the pig, as Dipper began cooking something simple. The girls came flooding in at the smell of something delicious. Dipper and Bill ate with them, listening quietly to the girls speak. They're nice peace was gone the moment the girls got up and left their dishes for Dipper. Even the demon had abandoned him for the movie. "You guys are the worst!" he looked down at the ground, Waddles sat by the sink, "At least you haven't left me yet."

After washing the last dish, he walked into the living room. The tv was shut off and the girls had returned to their circle, their eyes all suspiciously looking around at each other. Dipper walked closer to find a deck of uno sitting in the middle of them. Bill was the first to turn around to look at the brunet, "Are you heading to bed?"

Dipper rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah but you can stay down here if you want."

Bill stuffed his cards at the bottom of the deck and stood up, "I can't just let my boyfriend go to bed all alone."

A collective aww came from the girls. They watched with large smiles as Bill wrapped an arm around Dipper's waist. He looked back over his shoulder before they left the room, "Goodnight girls, see ya tomorrow."

Dipper refused to look back as they waved goodnight. His face burning up as he lead the way into the attic. He was the first one in the bed, burying himself under the sheets. Bill laid down beside him, laughing, "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Never call me that again."

"Dipper, it's just an act. Calm down. Do you really want them to question everything we've told them today?"

The brunet turned around to look at him, "I feel like you just love to annoy me and this is a good chance for you to do it."

"Yeah, that too. Go to sleep kid. Je t'aime tellement." 

_Dipper stood on the porch of the shack looking down at their angry friend. Wendy got out of her red pickup truck. She glared at the twins as she quickly approached them. Mabel dashed down the steps to meet her at the bottom. She reached her arms out to stop the older woman, "Wendy please, just lis-"_

_The redhead pushed her aside, continuing up towards the boy. Dipper felt an ache in his chest as the woman stood before him. His brown eyes refused to look up at her burning green eyes, "What the fuck is wrong with you Dipper?!" she turned to look at Mabel, "What's wrong with the both of you?! You let that fucking monster into your house! A fucking demon! One that tried to kill us and the entire world!"_

_Mabel dashed back up to stand beside them. She placed a hand lightly on Wendy's shoulder, "Just please, Wendy, he's changed. Please just listen to us. He's different now. We can trust him."_

_Wendy jerked her shoulder away from Mabel, "I cannot believe you just said that to me! I thought you were the smart one Mabel. As for you Dipper, you need to wake the fuck up and realize, no, remember just who he is. He tried to kill me and Soos. He tried to kill your grunkles. Your sister. He even tried to kill you. He's only using you! There's nothing going on between the two of you other than him just gaining your trust only for him to spit it back in your face."_

_Dipper felt his hands ball up beside him. Anger grew inside of him but he still refused to look up at her, "You don't know what you're talking about Wendy," his pained eyes looked slowly up at her, "If you can't accept him living here then leave and never come back."_

_She jabbed a finger into his chest, "I know exactly what I'm talking about. Do you really think that thing could fall in love with you? He doesn't love you and he never will." she crossed her arms over her chest, looking over the boy._

_"Wendy please, believe us. We know him." Mabel tried to get between them but Dipper held her back, allowin him to throw a hard punch into her face._

_"One last time Red. Get the fuck off my property."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Je t'aime tellement." = I love you so much.  
> **Special thanks to Opal_Spirit for the translations**


	9. A Little Shopping Spree Never Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some extra free time this week so here's an early update!
> 
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Dipper sat up quickly. He looked beside him. Bill laid peacefully on his stomach with one arm holding onto Dipper, his other arm was folded to his body. His face buried into the pillow as he snored quietly. Dipper sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He let his hand rest on top of the demon's back. Bill groaned before turning his head, "Morning," he turned his body onto his side to pull the boy closer, this time his face was buried against Dipper's thigh.

Dipper began rubbing Bill's back, "Wanna go to the diner again?"

"Mmm, I think the girls are still sleeping. We can eat here."

"Do you like Wendy?"

Bill lifted his head to rest it on Dipper's leg, his golden eye looking up, "I suppose. It's like meeting her again for the first time and this time she hasn't done anything to me, so there's nothing to not like."

"What about from seven years ago?"

"All's forgiven kid." Bill pushed himself from the bed, "Now, make me breakfast." he stood up, waiting for Dipper.

Dipper began cooking their meal while Bill checked on the girls. Moments later, Dipper felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a chin rest on his shoulder. Bill's chest pressed lightly against his back, "Pancakes?"

"Pancakes and bacon."

"You're the best." he tilted his head up to lightly kiss Dipper's cheek.

They both turned their heads at the sound of someone walking into the kitchen. Pacifica looked at them with sad eyes, "You make me angry."

Bill moved away to sit at the table beside her, "Tell me Blondie, you and Mabel?"

Red spread over her cheeks as her eyes moved to look at her hands, "It's nothing. Just me hoping for something I'll never have. Plus imagine her trying to have a long distance relationship. Don't get me wrong, she's a great person, but it's like every time we go out and do something together she's always looking at other guys. She'd leave me in a heartbeat."

"Long distance? I thought you still lived here in Gravity Falls?" Dipper asked as he set down three plates.

"I stole a pair of keys from my family's drawer and relocated to one of their beach houses in California. They, uhm, found out I was a lesbian and kinda disowned me. So I pulled one last trick on them and took the house that held all the valuables. It should be enough to keep me going for the rest of my life."

"You could always stay with us here at the shack."

"Thanks, but it's crowded enough with the three of you living here. You and Will would just make me more upset. Imagine living with a couple AND the girl you love but can't have. It'd be torture."

"Well just know that you're always welcomed here if you need it."

She gave them a weak smile before digging into her food. When they finished, Pacifica offered to clean up, allowing the boys to take off before the other girls could wake up and force them to hang out. They started their short adventure at the mall. Bill managed to convince Dipper to go into an antique shop that sat at the back of the building. Bill looked over the old items too fast for Dipper to keep up. The brunet stood at the back of the store inspecting an old typewriter when he heard the soft sound of a piano play through the store. Dipper followed the noise to find Bill sitting at an old black piano at the front of the store. The cashier was leaned over the counter watching Bill play. Dipper came to sit beside him, nudging his side a bit. Bill stopped playing to look at him, "I didn't know you could play the piano."

"Pine Tree, when you're as old as me, you learn to do just about anything. What were you looking at?"

Dipper glanced at the back, "Oh just some old junk."

"You seemed pretty interested in it. Let's go look." Bill reached down to grab the boy's hand, dragging him back over to the typewriters, "I like this one." he used his free hand to point at the old black one.

Dipper glanced up from their hands, "Oh yeah, I don't know though. I'm not sure I would use it."

"But they look cool. Maybe it'll put you in the mood for writing every time you see it. Think of it like inspiration."

"I think I'm better off without it. It's a lot of maintenance when you really think about it. My computer is all I need. Plus you're my inspiration."

"You're gross Pine Tree."

"Do you wanna see something gross? There's an oddity shop a few streets away, sound interesting?"

"I'm gonna marry that shop. Lead the way."

Bill and Dipper both stood before a jar holding a lizard's head. Bill reached a hand up to tap a finger against it a few times. He turned his head to look at Dipper, "Can we keep it?"

"Mabel would shoot me. You can pick something out but try to keep it more on the not gross side."

A small girl popped up beside them. She wore a simple black leather jacket and a loose white blouse. Black leather jeans hugged closely to her legs. Big bulky black boots stomped on the floor with every step she took. She had bright pink hair that sat atop her head in a loose bun. Piercings covered most of her face, she smiled up at Dipper, "Can I help you boys find something interesting?"

Dipper tore his eyes away from the jar, "I think he's looking for something cool."

"Something dead, but not too dead or else this pansy won't let me have it." he looked over at the girl.

Her bright blue eyes looked up at Bill in wonder, "I think I have just the thing for you." she led them towards the back of the shop, "We just got this two headed bat skeleton the other week. I suppose it's not too dead." she held out a tall bell glass to him with the skeleton hanging upside down.

Bill gasped, taking it into his hands. He spun to face Dipper, "Can I get it? It won't freak your sister out too much."

Dipper crossed his arms over his chest as he looked over the skeleton, "I guess we could just keep it in my office if she doesn't like it."

He handed it back to the girl with a large smile, "I'll be at the front with this then."

Bill wrapped his arms around the boy pulling him into a hug, "This is the greatest thing anyone's ever gotten me."

Dipper pat his back, "Oh shut up you sap, let's go."

Bill once again grabbed Dipper's hand to lead the way to the girl. Her eyes glanced down at their hands, the smile disappearing. They left the shop with a happy Bill holding tightly onto Dipper. He looked up at Bill, "I'm kinda glad that Pacifica would rather live in California than with us."

"Why?"

"Because then I'd have to keep up this act of dating you. I'm so tired of it."

Bill looked down at him with a sad eye, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight." he let go of the boy and walked ahead of him.

"You can't kick me out of my own bed!"

"Watch me Dipper!"

Bill spent the entire ride home refusing to speak or look at Dipper. As soon as they walked into the shack, Bill went straight for the office, leaving Dipper to deal with the girls. Mabel looked at him with a frown, "And where did you two run off to so early?"

"We went to the mall then I showed him the oddity shop. And I pissed him off."

The girls all turned around to look at him, "I smell drama, come sit child." Grenda pat the floor in front of her.

"He's just being his usual self. A big drama queen."

"And you're my big drama king. You know you love me." Bill said as he walked into the room, taking a set on the couch beside Dipper.

"Did you two buy anything?"

"We bought a cool two headed bat skeleton."

Wendy shot to her feet, "Show me!"

Both the blond and the redhead left the room. Grenda still wasn’t pleased, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, “You still have to tell us Dipper Pines.”

“There was this lizard’s head in a jar at the oddity shop. He really wanted it but I didn’t wanna freak Mabel out with it.”

Mabel’s head shot up from her knitting, “Go back and get it! I want that in the house.”

Dipper’s eyes widened a bit at the request as the duo came back into the room, “I guess you’re getting that lizard head.”

Bill’s face lit up. He ran out to the car and began violently shaking the door’s handle until Dipper came out to unlock it. When they entered the shop once more, the girl didn’t greet them. Bill carried the jar close to him as the girl rang them up and they left. Mabel couldn’t take her eyes off the thing as they placed it on the shelf above the tv. The other girls copied her action of staring, “If it’s too much I can always put it in my office.”

Mabel turned around to look at him, “I. Love. It.”

Later that evening, the Pines twins stood outside saying goodbye to their friends. Wendy was the first to leave that night as the rest stood by cars and talked. Mabel was beside the pink buggie with Candy and Grenda. Bill and Dipper stood by the black bentz talking with Pacifica. Dipper had his hands resting on the girl's shoulders as he spoke, "You and Mabel are best friends. If she really felt nothing then she wouldn't push you away. You mean a lot to her and she cares about you dearly. Just fess up to her."

"But what if things change between us? What if I do tell her and she talks to me less and avoids hanging out with me as much as she can? I've already lost my family Dip, I can't lose her too."

"She's not your parents Blondie. She won't just shut you out because you like her more than what she thinks. Nothing you do or say could change how she feels about you. Unless she does feel the same. In that case, good luck."

Pacifica let out a little laugh, "Yeah, I'll think about it, but I'm not making any promises."

The three of them stood on the porch waving as their friends left. Waddles chased after the cars for a few moments earning a laugh from the twins. Mabel looked up at the sky when it hit her. Bill had gone back into the house leaving the both of them outside. Mabel turned to Dipper in excitement, "Fourth of July is in like a week and we still don't have any fireworks! Dipper! It's tradition to fuck shit up every year! And this year we've got Bill to impress. We need to go get some. A lot more than last year too now that we've got all this open space to ourselves."

"Mabel, you almost set the shack AND the entire forest on fire that summer. Grunkle Stan got a ticket because of you!"

"But Bill's here. We need to put on a show for him. Don't you wanna show your boyfriend the joy of fireworks?

Dipper's gaze hardened, "He's not my boyfriend. Your friends are gone, acts over. You can get a few small fireworks tomorrow and maybe one big one but that's it. I'm not about to pay a fine just for you to have fun."

"But-"

"No Mabel. That's final. I don't want to hear anything else from you." he stormed back into the house.

Bill sat on the living room floor with Waddles. The pig was laid on its back while Bill rubbed its soft pink stomach. He looked up at Dipper when he heard the front door slam close. He smiled brightly at the boy. Dipper's frown only deepened, "Fuck off." he continued through the shack, making his way angrily to his office.

He spent a while cooped up in the room working on his story before Bill came to lightly knock on the door. He peaked his head into the room, "Did I do something to make you mad?"

Dipper looked at him in confusion, "What are you..oh that. I'm sorry Bill I didn't mean that. Mabel was just pissing me off and I accidentally took it out on you."

Bill slowly nodded before cautiously entering the room. He took his usual place on the desk letting his long legs swing over the edge. Dipper rolled his chair closer to Bill as he looked up at the clock, "Wanna head to bed?"

"Yes please."

Dipper led the way out of the room. He stopped at the living room to let Bill continue to the attic. Mabel sat on the couch slowly knitting. Waddles looked up at her with a titled head. Dipper took a few steps closer to her, earning her attention. She looked up at him with a frown, "What? Are you just gonna yell at me again?" Is my fun gonna get in the way of your life?"

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn't mean it. Tomorrow we'll go into town and I'll let you get all the fireworks your heart could desire. We'll get extra in case some of your friends decide to come back for the occasion. Deal?"

Her lips formed into a small smile, "Thanks Dip."

Dipper bounced up into the attic. Bill laid on his back, spread out on the bed like a starfish. Dipper jumped onto the bed and also onto the demon. Dipper folded his hands on Bill's chest and looked into the golden eye, "Do you know what a firework is?"

Bill's hands found their way to rest on the small of Dipper's back, "You mean those things that shoot into the sky and explode?"

"Yeah, Fourth of July is coming up next week. It's an American holiday where we spend the night shooting off fireworks."

"Sounds destructive. I like it. Is Shooting Star getting any?"

"Oh hell yeah. It's her tradition to light the forest on fire with them every year. She thinks you'll enjoy it. And Gravity Falls always spends the night sending them off. They're bigger than the ones we're buying tomorrow."

"How big?"

"So big they fill the entire sky. You'll love it."

He looked down into Dipper's soft brown eyes, "I'm sure I will. Dors bien mon amour. Je t’aime."

"One day I'll be able to figure out that language."

_It was a beautiful clear blue sky kinda day. One where there were little to no clouds up in the sky. Where the sun could beat down on people with no interruption. Dipper was sitting at a bench with Mabel and Pacifica playing with Waddles a few feet away. His brown eyes searched around for the tall blond. Bill stood off in the distance by a tree, but he wasn't alone. One of his arms was wrapped around a pretty girl. Pacifica and Mabel came running back trying to chase after Waddles. The pig came to a halt under the table. His eyes didn't move away from Bill and the stranger, "I guess I shouldn't have insulted him."_

_Mabel plopped down on the opposite side of Dipper, gasping for breath. Pacifica followed Dipper's gaze, "Aren't they just gross? I don't care if they've been dating for three years. She's got such a bad attitude."_

_Dipper turned to look at her with a look of horror, "Three years?!"_

_Mabel turned her head to look at him, "Yeah? How could you just forget something like that? He introduced her to us the moment they met as friends. We've been a group since like forever."_

_Pacifica sat beside him to place a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Dipper. I guess we sometimes forget that we're rubbing this in your face. We keep trying to hook you up with people but you always rave on about someone that you won't tell us about."_

_Dipper waved off the girl's hand, looking down at the pig, "No, it's fine. I've got Waddles to keep me company." Dipper watched with a broken heart as Bill locked lips with the strange girl._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Dors bien mon amour. Je t’aime" = Sleep well my love. I love you.


	10. Jealousy Thy Name Is Dipper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah you bet the title of this chapter is a reference to Voltron, I can't help myself.
> 
> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

Dipper woke up with a frown. He sat up carefully, making sure not to disturb the body beside him, and let his body stretch out. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at Bill. The demon's arms held tightly around Dipper's waist, his face was even rubbing against his thigh. Dipper imagined those arms wrapped around someone else. He felt a pang in his chest and laughed quietly at himself.  **He isn't yours to begin with.** Dipper slipped out of the bed.

Mabel sat in the kitchen sipping on her coffee. She looked up with a confused expression as Dipper sat across from her. His head immediately flopping down onto the table, "Are you okay Dip?"

"Yeah, just worried about setting something on fire next week."

"Don't worry about it bro. Pacifica said she'd come back to take away the stress. She'll make sure that I don't set anything on fire."

"She's gonna burn things down with you but fine, I'll trust her for the night. Let me go change and we'll go get those fireworks." he stood to head back up.

"What about Bill?"

He looked down at her, frown returning, "He wants to sleep in today."

Mabel ran around the main square of town gathering the fireworks she would need. Dipper ended up picking a few for him and Bill. It took a couple hours for Mabel to finally finish her shopping. They loaded the small car with their new explosives, some had to be strapped to the roof of the car. Mabel gleamed as she transported the boxes into her art room. Bill walked out of the shack to meet Dipper on the porch, "I can't believe you went without me Pine Tree!"

Dipper rolled his eyes as he stood before the demon, "Oh shut up, you would've yelled at me for waking you up."

"Good point, but it's the thought that counts. Did you buy anything good?"

Mabel peaked over Dipper's shoulder, "We bought the biggest and the loudest!"

Bill clapped his hands together, "Oh you've both got me so excited for your weird human holiday."

"I just hope you don't burn my house down with them."

Bill pulled the boy into his arms, "Trust me Pine Tree, I'll be the one to start the fire."

"That's so reassuring." he pushed away from the man, quickly making his way into the office.

He plopped down into his chair only to stare at his computer screen. He wasn't quite sure what this feel was but he knew something was wrong. Whatever the problem was it was making him angry, but he couldn't take his anger out on someone who didn't even do anything wrong. It was just some silly dream that Dipper had. Just him dreaming up a feeling that he shouldn't be experiencing. They were just two people living together, sleeping in the same bed, always cuddling and hugging, "Fuck!" Dipper slammed his head onto the desk.

Mabel knocked softly on the door before making her way to stand beside her brother, "You okay? You seem a little off today."

He gave her a nervous laugh, "Of course I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Dipper stop, I know something's wrong. Just tell me. Please, I'm worried about you."

He glanced at the closed door before nodding, "Okay so let's just say that last night I had a dream, and in that dream I got angry and jealous towards Bill and now it's affecting me in real life and it's just nothing."

Mabel gave him a weird look, "Are you trying to tell me something? Dipper..do you..do you  _like_ Bill?"

"What?! Are you serious? Fuck no Mabel. It's just the way he's been treating me since he's arrived. It's messing with my head I guess. I don't know. Just forget it. It's nothing."

She raised a brow at him before leaving the room. Bill entered right after she left, a few fireworks in his hands, "You might've left me this morning but at least you were kind enough to get fireworks for me."

"I didn't want you complaining about it."

"Whatever you say Pine Tree." Bill winked as he left the room.

Two chapters down, who knows how many more left. Dipper continued on with his writing hoping there would be no distractions. He wasn't able to stop until the tips of his fingers began to go numb. He moved away from the computer. Bill sighed softly behind him, "I see you're still making him depressing."

Dipper jumped a bit as the demon moved to sit on the desk, "Oh yeah, I guess so. But it adds to the story so stop questioning me. I know what I'm doing. If you've got such a problem with the way I write then stop coming in."

He kicked his leg out to bump his foot against Dipper's arm, "But I like spending time with you."

"Whatever," his eyes ran over his writing, "Okay wow, I'm really making this character sound like me." he rested his elbows on the table allowing himself to rub his temples.

"Well Star did put that idea in your head to basically rewrite that summer."

"It was a good idea though. A promising idea."

"Blah, blah, blah. This 'promising' idea seems to be affecting you a lot. All you ever do anymore is write and write. How about we go and do something? You've been cooped up in this room for too long and trying to force a story about something you don't even remember isn't good for you."

"I just left the house this morning!"

Bill pushed himself from the desk, "I don't give two shits kid. You haven't gotten a full day of sun in forever. Now get up, let's see if we can find that missing journal of yours."

Dipper groaned, pushing himself from the desk and following the demon out to the forest. Waddles followed after them up until the tree lines where he sat to watch them. Bill lead the way through the maze of trees, hoping something would remind him of where they last were. Dipper couldn't help but feel a little on edge knowing that the creature from before could still be lurking nearby. The Erlking could be right behind them for all they knew. At this point, there was a high chance she had already smelled them and was just toying with them, waiting for Dipper to feel safe once again before attacking. If she was still there, they probably wouldn't make it back. This time she would get her meal. He'd never see the shack again. Mabel would never know what happened to them. His family would have to bury an empty casket, never knowing what happened to his body.

"Kid, I need you to calm the fuck down!" Dipper looked up to see Bill looking at him with worry in his eye, both hands firmly on his shoulders.

Dipper hadn't even noticed that he'd started picking at his cuticles, "But what if that thing comes back and ACTUALLY kills us this time?"

"We'll be fine, I promise. I won't let anything kill you. You're safe with me. Now," he dropped his hands, making sure to grab one of Dipper's on their way down, "Relax and enjoy being out in nature for once." he continued walking, gripping Dipper's hand tighter.

A light pink began to spread over Dipper's cheeks as he continued to follow Bill. The contact did help calm him down, but also started up a different issue of Dipper's. The whole dream from last night was still taking its toll on him. He felt jealous in the dream and he still felt somewhat jealous that some imaginary girl managed to steal Bill from him. Dipper was going to lose his mind at this rate. Bill wasn't even his to steal in the first place. Bill was just some psychotic demon living under the same roof as him. Someone he hated just sleeping beside him every night, holding him tightly in his arms. Some annoying thing that never really left his side. Some tall handsome person he secretly enjoyed to kiss. But there was no way Dipper could ever love Bill, right? The demon did try to kill his family at one point. He caused so much pain to Dipper. He forced horrible nightmares into the poor boy's head. Months of sleepless nights just for a summer of entertainment, doing horrible things to the people he loved in said nightmares. Dipper had almost killed himself just to be free from it all. But here he was, not wanting to let of that same demon's hand.

"I found it!" Dipper looked up to see Bill holding the lost journal.

Dipper took it in his hands with a beaming smile. It might have been covered with dirt but at least he had the rest of his information back. He stuffed it into his backpack and looked around their surroundings, "I'm surprised that thing still isn't here."

"Oh that Erlking? She only attacks humans or those without magical abilities. I've been passing magic through you since we stepped in here. She won't want to touch you."

"Smart."

"And you like to stay that I've got no brain."

"I've never said that."

"No, but you've thought it so that counts."

Dipper shook his head as his attention was drawn away. He began walking away from the demon, not replying to anything Bill said. Dipper wasn't too sure where he wanted to go but he knew for sure that his legs didn't want to stand there any longer. Bill followed cautiously behind him. A small bit of fear crawled up his throat when Dipper disappeared behind a wall of vines, "Pine Tree? I think we should just head back bef-"

Dipper stuck an arm out from the vines, "Just trust me."

Bill slowly reached out to take the hand. Dipper didn't hesitate, the moment he felt the demon's hand he pulled him into the vines. Bill's golden eye was wide open when he was pulled through. The area around them was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen. The most crystal clear blue lake stood before them. Colorful fish of many sizes swam around peacefully in the water. The trees that surrounded the place were perfectly green, tall, and lush. Vines hung from their branches creating the perfect curtains to shield this place away from unwanted eyes. The grass at their feet still managed to stay lively and green with all the strangely beautiful animals eating away at it. White deer stood at the edge of the lake drinking the water. Dipper felt his feet walk closer to the edge of the lake. The water reflecting into his bright eyes. Bill watched him from the distance. He raised a brow as the boy got onto his knees to look closer at whatever was in the water. He took a step closer, "Dipper, I've got a bad feeling about you being over there. I really think we should head back."

Dipper didn't respond. His brown eyes were too focused on the creature swimming towards him. She was a beautiful thing. Delicate snow white skin, gold scales covering her webbed fingers that ended shortly after her wrists. Her long flowing hair was like gold strewn into her head. The largest blue and green eyes looked up at him with curiosity. She pulled herself more out of the water to be at his level. She slowly reached a hand out to touch his face, "Hello, I'm Neriss."

"I'm Dipper. What..are you?" his eyes glanced down to the sharp fangs that she bore in her smile.

"Would you like to join me in the water? It's very nice."

Dipper couldn't tear his eyes away from the sharp teeth. His hand reached up to pull her's away, "I'm okay here. Are you another mermaid?"

She looked at him with wide eyes before slowly nodding, "Yes of course. I got separated from my pack when I was younger and wound up here in this pretty lake. I've been protecting it ever since."

"Protecting it from what? It’s out in the middle of nowhere. What dangers could possibly come to it?”

She glanced down at his hands. Taking them in her own as she spoke, “Dangers of humans.” the bright color in her eyes twisted into something dark as she pulled him under the water.

Bill watched in horror as Dipper suddenly got dragged into the lake, “Fuck! Dipper! What did I tell you?! Star’s gonna hang my ass!” he skidded to a stop near the edge.

The water was clear enough for Bill to see the creature wrapping her tail around Dipper’s body. One clawed hand squeezed at his cheeks as she brought his face closer to hers. Bill took in a deep breath before diving into the water. The creature’s face shot to look at Bill. Her fangs bared as he got closer to them. She quickly released Dipper to swim towards Bill. She dug her claws into his body as she swam past him creating a large gash in his side. He kept swimming towards the boy. If he could just reach him, then he could teleport them to the safety of the surface rather than staying down here. He spun around when he heard the creature screech behind him. She was swimming back for another attack. Adrenaline ran through his veins as we swam faster. Her claws dug once more into his body, attacking his shoulder. At least he had finally reached Dipper. He grabbed onto the boy's arm and tried concentrating. Once more she screeched at him. Dipper’s lungs could breathe actual air instead of water. His eyes shot open to see the blue sky above them, now fading into a pink as the sun began to set. He turned onto his side to cough up the water still residing in his lungs. His throat burned as his eyes searched for the demon. Bill laid a few feet away from him, his body unmoving as red stained the grass. Dipper glanced back at the lake to see the creature glaring at him. Luckily for them, Siren’s couldn’t last a second on land. Dipper slowly crawled closer to Bill. He sighed in relief to see Bill’s chest still moving, very slowly but still alive. The cuts on his body gradually began healing. Dipper carefully sat up to cradle Bill in his arms, “Please be okay.” he whispered to himself, running his fingers through the demon’s wet hair.

He took one of Bill’s hands in his, praying to a god that he didn’t even believe in for Bill to wake up. Just to see that stupid smirk the demon always wore. Just to know that he hadn’t lost a friend, “I’m sorry Bill. I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve known something was wrong. Please, just wake up. Please. Give me a lecture on how stupid and childish I am. Spend the entire walk home telling me that you’re right and I’m wrong. Spend the rest of the night telling me how I need to start listening to you. Just don’t leave me alone.” a small tear found its way from his eye to roll down his cheek.

“You..owe me for that.”

Dipper couldn’t help but chuckle, “I know.” he let his hand fall down to cup Bill’s cheek, still holding onto the other hand, “We’ll sit in front of the fire all night watching horror movies till your heart's content.”

“Do you think you’ve got enough strength to carry be back?”

“Are you kidding me Bill? You’re like a foot taller than me. We’ll just have to wait until you can walk.”

Bill glanced over Dipper’s shoulder to lock eyes with the Siren. Half of her body was propped out of the lake to rest on the grass. She watched their movements silently, “I, uhm, just drag me back. I don’t want to be around that _thing_ anymore.”

Dipper looked back at the Siren. Her fang filled smile returned. Dipper began looking around the forest for something that could help. His gaze was drawn to a rustling bush, “Bill, we might die right now.”

Bill looked in his direction to see a bear emerging from the trees, but this wasn’t any normal bear. This bear had eight heads, “Multibear! Oh thank god you’re here!”

The creature looked at them for a moment before walking closer, “Pines! It’s been a while. Who is this? What happened?”

“This is Bill, he’s my friend. We got into a problem with that Siren back there. Do you think you could carry him back to the shack for me?”

The bear looked back at the Siren, now retreating, with hate. He smiled down at the two before gathering Bill in his many arms, “Lead the way Pines.”

Dipper lead the way back to the shack. A peaceful silence fell over them as they walked. Dipper's heart began to race as he heard Mabel talking. He pushed away the last of the brush to see Mabel standing below the porch talking to someone. He tilted his head as he got closer, "Mabel, who's thi-" Dipper felt his skin grow cold as the person turned around.

"Why hello there Dipper Pines! It's been a while since we've last seen each other. How have you been?" Dipper cringed at the high voice.

Gideon Gleeful. Even after seven long years, his attire hadn't changed much. The same light blue suit with his little American flag pin. His snow white skin looked even more white. His insane hair choice was the big difference. Of course the white was still part of it, but he finally got rid of the ridiculous pompadour. Dipper glanced down at the hand that the younger man held out. He chose to ignore it and looked back at his sister, "Anyways, we got into a little problem out there. I met a Siren today and she tried to kill me." Mabel's calm expression changed into horror, "Also Bill got injured so there's that. Multibear helped me carry him back." he turned around to point out the giant bear helping Bill stand.

"Star, your brother is a fucking idiot." Bill limped past the group along with the bear.

Mabel moved Gideon off to the side so she could stand inches from her brother. Her small hand poked a finger to his chest, "From here on out, you and Bill are not allowed to enter that forest. Ever. This is the second time he's almost died saving you and the second . time you've been near death. Your fun ends here. Now, I expect you to treat Bill with nothing but kindness for the next week. He gets anything he wants from you." she turned back to Gideon, "I'm sorry, but we have to go take care of our friend. Feel free to stop by some other time though."

Mabel snatched her brother’s wrist to pull him into the shack, leaving an angry Gideon behind. Bill laid on the couch groaning. The twins squished against the wall as the Multibear passed by to leave, “Thank you so much Multibear!” Dipper waved goodbye to his friend as he disappeared into the trees.

Mabel sat beside Bill, “What happened out there?” her eyes were glued to the cuts on his side and shoulder.

“It started out simple, just going out to look for his stupid journal. And then this idiot got hypnotized by a Siren and wouldn’t listen to a word I said. He’s gonna be the death of me at this rate!”

Dipper leaned against the door frame to the room. His arms crossed tightly over his chest, “If you knew something was wrong then maybe you should’ve dragged me back here.”

Mabel whipped her head around to look at the brunet, “What did I tell you? You have to be nice to him. Now go make dinner.”

Dipper flipped them off before storming into the kitchen. Mabel turned back to the demon, softly stroking his hair, “Do you need anything?” he slowly shook his head, “Do you wanna sleep down here tonight?”

“No, but Dipper can. Help me up to the attic?”

“Of course.” she walked slowly beside him, helping him up the stairs at a very slow pace.

He plopped onto the bed with a groan, “He’s insane Star.”

She pulled the blanket over his body, “I know, but so are you. Just don’t push his buttons. I told him to be nice this next week, but that doesn’t mean you can take advantage of him.”

“You’re my favorite Pines. Thanks a lot Mabel.”

She gave him one last smile before heading down the stairs to set up the couch. She walked into the kitchen as Dipper began pouring food onto plates, “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

“What?! Bill can sleep on the damn couch. It’s my bed!”

She took two of the plates from him, “Stop it. He’s injured because of you Dipper Pines. He almost died, again. Just to save you. So stop this childish bullshit. You’ll sleep on the couch just for tonight while his wounds are fresh, and then you’re back in that bed by tomorrow night.” she walked out before he could say another word.

Dipper ate alone in quiet silence. Mabel returned as he began cleaning the dishes, “Oh I’ll do that. Bill wants you to go up.”

She kept her eyes on the sink as she walked past him. He pushed open the door to see Bill laying down, one arm straight down and the other resting over his face, “What do you want Bill?”

He lifted his head up slightly to look at him, “Come.” Dipper obeyed, “You’re really stupid, you know that? I can’t believe she managed to hypnotize you and from that distance! God, you almost got us killed, AGAIN!”

“Yeah, I get it. Can you stop now?”

“No, you said I could spend the rest of the night telling you how stupid are. Like what kind of human just lets himself fall under something so stupid? Siren magic isn’t even that strong for crying out loud! And you didn’t even try to fight her when she dragged you under. You just fucking sat there and made me do all the work.”

“You getting hurt was your own fault. You could’ve left me to die. You didn’t have to come in after me.”

“Are you kidding me?! I would’ve died either way. We’ve been over this Dipper. The least you could have done was try to fight her. Not just let her take you like that.”

“If you’re just gonna keep yelling at me for this then I’m leaving.”

“Wait no don’t. I’ll stop. It’s just that I was so fucking worried. I thought she’d end up killing me before I could get to you.”

“You’re a demon Bill. She’s just some mermaid with extra strength. She’s nothing compared to you.” he pat Bill’s stomach, “I’m gonna head back down. Goodnight Bill.”

“Bonne nuit mon amour.” (Goodnight my love)

Mabel sat on the couch knitting. Waddles sat before her sleeping. Her feet kneading softly into his side. She turned her head when she heard Dipper’s footsteps, “How long do you think it’ll take him to fully heal?”

“Shouldn’t take long. He’ll probably be back to normal by tomorrow morning.”

Mabel nodded as she stood with her things, “I’m heading to bed. Have fun down here.”

Waddles followed the girl upstairs. Dipper fell onto the couch, facing the small tv. “You guys are the worst!” Dipper smirked when he heard a loud bang on the floor above him.

He laid down to stare at the ceiling. There was no way he was about to fall asleep. Instead, he got up and went into his office. He slid into his seat and began typing the night away.

_**Dipper looked at the boring grey place around him. A large light grey area laid before him. He slowly made his way to it. The Siren's lake. He jumped back, falling to the ground. His heart began to pound as he saw something swimming towards him. His arms struggling to pull himself away from the edge. Gold popped out of the water. But it wasn't the Siren. It was Bill. A frown plastered to his face as he got out and glared at the boy, the grey soon filling with the bright colors, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"** _

_**Dipper looked at him in shock, "Me?! You're the one bringing me back here and scaring the shit out of me!"** _

_**"That's not what I meant! I meant with the whole not sleeping thing you were doing. You know very well that I can't heal unless I'm in the Mindscape. You also know that I can't go into my Mindscape without dying. So explain to me why you're staying awake rather than letting me heal from something you caused?"** _

_**"Why are you complaining? It's obvious that you can just pull me in. Why didn't you just do it sooner?"** _

**_“Do you have any idea how much energy it took for me to pull you in here? I just spend the past two hours trying to do this. And now because of you, once again, I’m weaker.”_ **

**_“That’s enough! I get it, alright?! I messed up and got you hurt. Don’t you think I feel guilty enough for that? I understand that I’ve almost gotten you killed twice and I’m sorry. But that doesn’t give you the right to be so mean to me all of a sudden. Stop trying to make me feel like shit when I already do!”_ **

_****_Bill’s expression didn’t change, it only deepened, “_ ** **_Tu es l'humain le plus fou que j'aie jamais rencontré. J'aurais pu te tuer, tu as de la chance que je t'aime.” Bill didn't wait for a response before walking away and vanishing within the trees._ ** ** _

_****_Dipper curled up into a ball, one hand weakly pulling away at the grass. He shut his eyes, praying to be sent into a dream. Praying that he could spend the rest of the night in a fantasy place, happy and carefree. Some random cute scenario with his sister and their friends and the dumb pig. Dipper opened his eyes to find that he was still sitting beside the lake. Bill still nowhere to be seen. He slowly stood up, his head dropping, "If you're just gonna leave me like that then fine! I'm waking up."_ ** ** _

_****_Dipper walked into the lake, walking until his head was submerged by the water. He held on tightly to a plant that had its roots firmly into the waterbed. The world around him slowly beginning to fade as he ran out of air. His lungs began burning as the last bit of air was sucked out of them, his body going limp, "Dipper! For the love of god, stop being stupid!"_ ** ** _

_****_Bill held Dipper tightly in his arms, trying to remove the water that was filling Dipper's lungs. His brown eyes shot open. He rolled out of the blond's grip to cough up the rest of the water. His eyes began focusing on the world around him, "What? Why am I still here?"_ ** ** _

_****_"This isn't a dream Dipper. This is the real Mindscape. Your actual Mindscape! Didn't you look up at the fucking sky?!" Dipper looked up to see the stars racing around, "When you die in your Mindscape, you die in the real world. Stop being an idiot, please."_ ** ** _

_****_Dipper looked at him in confusion, "Were you..did you cry?"_ ** ** _

_****_Bill stiffened as he brought a hand to wipe at his eye, "I uhm, it wasn't pretty. Just seeing the color slowly fading and things falling apart. It was the worst thing I've ever seen. Not to mention that I could feel you dying. I was going through your bad memories when it happened. They get amplified when a person is near death."_ ** ** _

_****_"Bill you can't just-" Dipper glanced up at the sky, "Does that mean they're stable enough to look at?"_ ** ** _

_****_Bill nodded before leading the boy around the forest. Two large trees sat in the center of the first, light emitting brightly from both, however, one was noticeably more dim than the other. Bill walked to the less bright tree and held his hand out for Dipper, "When you touch the tree, it takes you into the memory vault. This tree holds the bad ones, the others hold the good ones."_ ** ** _

_****_Dipper took a quick glance at the demon before placing a hand on the tree. Before he knew it, he was standing alone surrounded by glowing orbs. They all floated at a distance, but one stuck out to him. He reached out to take it in his hands. The orb began playing a memory. A young 16 year old Dipper lying on the floor of the bathroom. The tub overflowed with water. Pills were getting whisked away from his body as the water began to flow towards the door. His body laid there, unphased by the water that soaked his clothes. He could hear the faint sound of his sister screaming his name. She began pounding on the door before kicking it open. She let out a horrified scream before collapsing to the floor. She struggled to crawl closer to him until she sat beside him, holding his unmoving body in her arms. The tears didn't stop from her eyes as she took her phone out to call someone. Her other hand moved to shove a finger down her twin's throat. Pills came vomiting to the ground. Dipper felt his heart break as he released the memory. He stood before Bill once again. The demon wore worry on his face as he placed a hand on Dipper's shoulder, "Pine Tree?:_ ** ** _

_****_Dipper didn't look at him. His eyes were glued to the tree, "I want to wake up."_ ** ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> "Tu es l'humain le plus fou que j'aie jamais rencontré. J'aurais pu te tuer, tu as de la chance que je t'aime.” = You're the craziest human I've ever met. I could have killed you by now, you're so luck that I love you.
> 
> I think this chapter might be longer than the rest of them but I hope you bared through it all!


	11. I'm Sorry For The Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Dipper sat up in his chair. The computer before him had a black screen, reflecting the morning light into the room. He heard Mabel's soft humming through the house. His eyes shot up when he heard the door creak open. Bill poked his head inside, a sad eye looking at the boy. Dipper held out his arms signaling for Bill to hold him. They sat on the floor together. Bill's back pressed against the wall with Dipper sitting in his lap curled up into a ball. Dipper's arms were wrapped around BIll's neck as he cried into the demon's shoulder. One of Bill's arms held on around the boy's waist while the other stroked the brown curls, "I'm sorry Pine Tree. I thought you'd be ready."

Dipper shook his head weakly, his tears beginning to slow, “I am ready. You’re right, keeping things bottled up won’t help like I want them to. After we thought you were dead, the nightmares never went away. I went through so much therapy to try getting rid of them. Then they put me on pills to help with the nightmares, trauma, insomnia. It didn’t help that we had started high school when we went back after that summer. I was getting bullied because I was always paranoid and people would see and hear about the pills I had to constantly take. Mabel would give up everything to look after me and she started suffering from my own problems. I just felt like such a burden to everyone. Like nothing would ever get better for me. I’d always get bullied. I’d never get rid of the nightmares. I’d just always worry my sister. I couldn’t handle it anymore. So..I tried killing myself. I was 16 when it happened. My parents were running late at work so it was just me and Mabel that night. She was busy with homework. I guess I just kinda snapped that night. I didn’t know what to do. I locked myself in the bathroom and downed as many pills as I could. That was the night she made me pinky promise to never leave her side.” Dipper could feel the tears starting up again, “I just..I felt that night all over again Bill. It was awful.”

"Dipper..I'm so sorry. I never should have done that to you. I'm so, incredibly sorry. I'd take it all back if I could. I didn't think that what I did would be that bad for you."

Dipper let out a soft laugh, "It's alright. At least you're here now, trying to make up for it all. You could've kept the torture up when you came back, but instead you're here, holding me in your arms while I cry."

He smiled fondly at the boy, "Great way to start the day, huh?" Dipper modded with tears in his eyes and a big smile on his face, "Mabel's making breakfast."

Bill helped the small boy up, keeping an arm wrapped around his shoulder as they walked into the kitchen. Mabel turned around with the plates in her hand. Her usual large smile glued to her face, “Mornin!” her smile disappeared when she saw Dipper’s puffy red eyes.

Dipper and Bill sat closely beside each other as Mabel set down the plates. She took the seat on the other side of her brother, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just had a little talk about the past.”

Her smile slowly returned, “Well, it’s good to see the both of you getting over things and moving on. It’s about time we all did. God knows how long you’d be staying here with us.” Bill gave the girl a half smile before digging into his food.

Dipper sat on the couch blankly staring at the tv before him. Bill came running into the room moments later to hide behind the couch, “If Star asks, tell her I’m in the forest.”

Dipper didn’t have any time to respond before his twin came running into the room, “Hey Dip! My bro! My twin! The greatest person ever! Have you seen Bill by any chance?”

“Why?”

“We were talking while doing the dishes and I jokingly said I’d make him a dress. And now that I’m thinking about it, I wanna see him in one. But I can’t find him.”

“So he’s being a big baby as usual. I’m not surprised. He’s always running from things and refusing to face them. It’s like he’s afraid of everything. Like if you put a marshmallow in front of him he’d start crying.”

Bill popped out from behind the couch, “I’ll have you know Pine Tree, I fought a 10 foot shark monster with my bare hands once.”

Mabel smirked, “Thanks brobro! You’re the best.”

Bill screeched as the girl dashed towards him, “You’re a traitor Dipper Pines!”

“Aww come on Bill, you’re in good hands. She’ll make you look good for once.”

Mabel dragged him out of the room by his collar. Bill flipped Dipper off as they turned the corner out of sight. Dipper chuckled as he looked down at the pig, “What do you say we have our own time together? Wanna help me write a story?”

Dipper began walking to his office with Waddles right beside him. The pig laid down on his feet, oinking lightly as he drifted off to sleep. Dipper’s wonderful peace was disturbed with Mabel’s screaming. Dipper and Waddles took their time walking into the art room. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the state of the room. Paint was splattered everywhere. He looked at his twin to see that she was also covered in paint, along with the demon standing beside her, “You guys give me a headache. What happened this time?”

“Bill was being so stingy that I threw paint at him. And then he threw paint back. So we had a little paint war.”

Dipper’s eyes moved around the room slowly, “This doesn’t seem very little.”

Bill walked over to him, “Aww come on Dipper, have some fun.” he pulled his hand out from behind his back and smeared paint on the boy’s face.

He ducked back beside Mabel watching for his reaction, “I’m gonna kill the both of you.” he walked away from the room.

Mabel came running past him, her path leading straight for the bathroom to be the first to clean up. Bill soon appeared by Dipper’s side, “You gotta admit, it was funny.”

Dipper glared up at him, wiping away some of the paint. He smeared the excess onto the demon’s shirt, “I want that room cleaned up within the hour. If there is ever another paint war in my house, you’re both getting kicked out.”

Bill grabbed Dipper’s arm to wrap him in a painted hug, “You’re gonna hate me for this.” he rubbed his paint stained face against Dipper’s clean face.

Dipper began struggling to get free from the arms, “Bill, you’re the worst person I’ve eve-”

Bill pressed his lips to Dipper’s. Getting even more paint onto him. He pulled away with a devilish grin, “Aww how cute. I made a different color. Have fun cleaning up Pine Tree!” Bill began laughing as he walked away.

Dipper walked out back with Waddles following closely beside him. He turned on the hose and placed it in the pig’s mouth, “Hose me piggy!”

Waddles positioned himself to let the water blast against Dipper. He shook out his hair as he turned off the hose. Waddles made his way back in at the sound of Mabel’s voice. Dipper stayed out back to wring out his now soaked clothes, “I swear I’m gonna kill the both of them.”

“It’d be a giant shame if you got dirty again.”

Dipper spun around to see Bill standing in the doorway, still covered in paint, “Come near me and I swear you’re getting kicked out.”

Bill slowly started approaching him, his hands raised in defense, “I’m not gonna do anything to you. Just calm down.”

“Don’t come near me!” Dipper took off to the other side of the house with Bill chasing after him.

He began screaming as he opened the front door and ran through the house. Mabel peaked her head out of the kitchen to see Bill close behind Dipper. He made a sharp turn down the hallway, almost going up to the attic. He ran into the bathroom. As he turned to close the door, Bill appeared right in front of him. Once more pulling the boy into his arms and lifting him from the ground, “And you thought you could out run a demon.”

“You’re dead meat Bill!”

“You’re cute when you’re angry kid.” he set him down before pushing him out of the bathroom to shower.

Dipper stood outside waiting patiently for his turn. Mabel walked over to him, “Do you think you could get Bill to clean up my art room for me?”

“I already told him to do it, but I’ll tell him again.”

“Thanks Bro bro! You’re the best.”

As she went back into the kitchen, Bill opened the bathroom door. One towel wrapped around his waist as he held another to his hair, “Hey Pines! Did you wanna join me?”

“Fuck off Bill. Go get changed, it’s your job to clean up the room.” Dipper pushed past him.

He left the bathroom soon after mimicking the way Bill had left the bathroom. He made his way up to the attic, unaware of Bill following behind him. He tossed one of the towels into the basket beside his dresser and began digging around, “I don’t get why you’re so mad at me.”

Dipper threw his hands up in the air, “Do you really not understand privacy?! Seriously, how hard is it to stand outside for like two seconds to let me change?! I’ll let you in when I’m done. Get out.”

Bill pouted before obeying. Once Dipper was changed, he laid down on the bed, letting the soft mattress hold him in comfort. He turned onto his side to face the wall. A small pain pinged in his chest, “Bill? You can come in now.”

Within seconds, Bill was crawling into the bed beside him. His arms latching around Dipper’s waist. Dipper rested his nose into the golden locks, “Can you stop being a dick for a few days?”

“But you love it when I’m a dick.” Bill looked up at him with a smile, “I’m just trying to make life fun for you, I’ve notice your mind's been clouded.”

“Don’t worry about me Bill. Just being around you is enough for me.” he kissed the tip of Bill’s nose, “All that running and screaming tired me out.”

“You really are a weak human.”

Dipper closed his eyes, once more letting Bill’s hair tickle his face, “Mmm, and you’re a really annoying demon.”

“I think I’m a fun demon. You just don’t appreciate my humor like your sister does. The pig even appreciates me more than you do!”

“Shh, I’m trying to sleep.”

"“Je t'aime chéri.”

 _Dipper woke up in a room that wasn't his own. This one was bare and simple, yet it was oddly familiar. He left the room to venture down the stairs. He stopped in front of a dining table where Mabel sat eating cereal. She looked up at him, giving him a smile with her cheeks stuffed. He backed out of the room to hear a knock on the door._ _When he opened the large wooden thing, Bill stood outside with a large smile, “Hello my little Pine Tree.”_

_“What are you doing here?”_

_Bill raised a brow, “What are you talking about? I live here with you and your family? I just left my keys on accident.” he pushed past the boy with bags in his hands, “Help me bring in the groceries.”_

_Dipper stood by the door listening to his sister scream, “Did you bring me my stuff?!”_

_“Your uncles would kill me if I did! But yes, I got it.”_

_Dipper shook his head before heading over to the car to bring in the rest of the bags. Mabel and Bill stood in the kitchen unloading the bags as he walked in. Both of them froze up when they heard footsteps coming down the hall. Mabel grabbed some things from the bags and hid them in a cabinet as their grunkle Ford walked in, “Bill I swear to god if you bought her tho-”_

_“Relax old man, I actually listened to you for once.” Bill crossed his arms over his chest._

_Ford glared at his nephew, “Dipper, is he lying?”_

_Dipper slowly nodded earning a deadly look from Bill. Ford began to remove his slipper as he walked closer to the blond. Mabel, at this point, had fled the room for safety. Bill hissed as Ford whacked his arm with his slipper, “Stop buying her that crap or else I swear I’ll kill you.” he left the room mumbling to himself._

_Bill’s eye shot towards the brunet still standing near him. Dipper leaned against the counter with an innocent look, “Maybe you should’ve listened to him.”_

_“Maybe you should help your boyfriend out. You know how much she loves that shit! She gives me the biggest puppy dog eyes ever and I just can’t help myself.”_

_“I’m sorry, what? My boyfriend?”_

_Bill walked closer to him, placing his hands on either side of Dipper, “Do not pull that bullshit. You know I hate it when you do that.”_

_Dipper grabbed Bill’s collar to pull his face down to his. He gave the man a short but loving kiss. Bill smiled before moving away to take care of the groceries, “Oh Dipper, did I forget to tell you that I can actually join you in your dreams?”_

_Dipper’s body went cold, “What? You mean you’re the actual Bill? And not like some made up one?”_

_“Hundred percent real. I really thought I told you this before.”_

_“I hate you!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> “Je t'aime chéri.” = I love you darling.


	12. Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had another free day so here's a new chapter!
> 
> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Bill sat in the kitchen rambling away to Mabel as she cooked, "So there I am just losing my fucking shit while the table's on fire. George is like so done at this point that he actually used a chair nearby to knock himself out. And then you've got the cow just standing there trying to hit on Tom! Mabel, I wish I could take you ba-"

"Bill I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Bill Mabel jumped at Dipper's sudden yelling as he came walking into the kitchen.

Bill dashed out of his chair to hide behind the smaller twin, "Hey Pine Tree, let's just calm down. Take a deep breath."

"You just woke up, what could he have done already?" Mabel ptu her hands out to keep her brother at a distance.

"This fucker walked into my dream withou-"

"But this just proves what I was trying to tell you Star! Your brother dreams about kissing me!"

"You're fucking dead meat Cipher!"

Bill dashed out the back door laughing as Mabel wrapped her arms around Dipper, "Bro bro! Chill out. He didn't even do anything. You're just overreacting."

"Mabel, sister, twin. If you loved me you'd let me go punch him."

"But if I loved you more I'd keep hugging you until you calmed down."

"Just one punch. That's it, I promise."

Bill poked his head into the kitchen, "Is he still going crazy?"

Dipper swung his head around to glare at the demon, "I'm fine now. You can let me go Mabes."

"That's great 'cause someone's actually out here looking for the both of you."

Mabel released Dipper to walk beside him out the door. Dipper's skin crawled at the sight of the short person standing in front of them. Mabel simply smiled. "Good morning Pines! I must say Dipper, your boyfriend is a lot friendlier than I thought he would be. I suppose demons are more human than humans are."

Bill froze up beside the brunet. Dipper's frown only deepened, "Are you kidding me? This guy wouldn't even hurt a fly, there's no way he could be a demon. Maybe you should just keep your mouth shut rather than making stupid assumptions."

Gideon smirked, "Dipper, stop lying to me. I was the one to summon him. I'd know that aura anywhere. But it amazed me that  _you_ of all people are now dating him. I mean, he did try to end you and everything you loved."

"How about you leave him out of this and tell us why you're here?"

Gideon reached a hand up to adjust his tie, "Yes, of course. I'm here for the wonderful and beautiful Mabel Pines," he held one of his hands towards her, "I do believe I was trying to ask you something the last time Iw as here."

She tilted her head at him, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't remember what it was. These two idiots had me distracted."

Bill and Dipper gave her innocent smiles from behind. She rolled her eyes to look back at the white haired man, "Well, the Gravity Falls fair starts tomorrow. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me. I haven't seen you in seven years after all."

"Uhm, I'm not too sure. I don't really trust these two alone in the shack. You know how couples are."

Bill threw an arm around Dipper's shoulder, "How about we go with you two? Think of it as a double date."

Dipper glared up at the blond, "I don't think we should interrupt their little thing."

"No, that's quite alright. It'd be splendid if you two tagged along!"

Mabel looked at him in shock, "Then I guess if they went then sure, I'll go." she jumped as her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, "I need to take this, see you later Gideon."

They watched as she re-entered the shack, rambling on about things to whoever was on the phone. Dipper and Bill were about to follow after her when Gideon spoke again, "Oh Dipper, I'd like to have a word with you if I could. Now I know this might be shocking to you, but I still have some power over Bill. So, he still belongs to me. I suggest you stay away from him if you remember our last little deal. What was it again?" he turned his head up to tap a small finger against his chin.

Bill smiled at him, "Sorry Twinkle Toes, but the deal was broken. Certain things came up that violate the deal. So technically, I now belong to Dipper. Have a good day!" Bill turned away back into the house before he could say another word.

Dipper looked at the shorter man, "Why are you so set on hating me? I thought we agreed to put the past in the past and move the fuck on."

"I'd love to put the past behind me, but you see, Mabel dear still owns my heart. And you're still in my way of getting to her. so until I get rid of you, I'm going to hate you. But really, Bill? How would your Grunkle Ford feel about that? Well, I'd like to imagine that he'd disown you for bringing such a disgrace into his home. His dear nephew, messing around with a monster. Your grunkle died because of that thing. Your sister almost died because of that thing. You almost died because of that thing."

"That 'thing' has a name. Go ahead and say what you want. You really think you know Ford more than I do? That man would put aside his hatred for Bill if it meant that I could be happy with him. So just fuck off, you don't know anything about the people in my life. Bill wouldn't do anything to hurt me or my family."

"I feel like Ford said those exact words at some point. And look at where he ended up. Rotting six feet underground."

Dipper felt his hand twitch as he walked closer to Gideon, “Go fuck yourself shortie.” in one quick motion, he threw a hard punch to the younger man’s face.

He stormed back into the house ignoring the fowl words Gideon yelled at him. Mabel’s soft voice coming from the living room helped calm his nerves. Bill sat at the table in the kitchen looking out the window. His golden eye following the leaving man. Dipper snatched a bag of ice from the freeze and sat beside the demon, placing the cold bag against his hand, “I hope that midget gets killed.”

“Remember Dipper, you’re dating a demon who would be more than happy to kill someone.”

“As much as I’d love to know he’s out of my hair, Mabel wouldn’t talk to me again.” they heard a cheerful glee come from the living as the younger Pines began walking towards them.

“Pacific said she’d drive back for the fair! And for fourth of July! She’ll be here by tomorrow night!”

Dipper groaned as he leaned against Bill, “Mabel please tell me you aren’t expecting us to go to the fair twice.”

“We’re still doing the double date, but it’ll be with Pacifica instead. I’ll call Gideon tomorrow and tell him I got sick. Boom! Problem solved. I think it’ll be a little vacation for me. She’ll be here for like a week meaning you two have to put on your acting faces again. You know, I think you two get along better when you’re pretending to date.”

Bill put an arm around Dipper, “This kid always acts like we’re dating. Jeez Dipper, all you have to do is ask.”

“You’re both disgusting. But speaking of dating, Mabel sit down we need to talk,” she cocked a brow at him but sat in front of them, “You care about Pacifica, right?”

“Of course I do. She’s been like my best friend for almost seven years now. She’s practically family.”

“And how did you feel when she said she was gay?”

“I didn’t care? If she’s gay then she’s gay. I mean, you’re gay and I still love you. Just because she’s attracted to women doesn’t mean I’ll love her any less.”

“Hmm, love is a very strong word Mabel. How do you feel about her in general?”

“Dipper if you’re trying to ask me if I have feelings for her then just be straight up about it.”

“Okay fine, do you have feelings for her?”

“Of course I do. She’s been my friend for so long that the feelings developed. I just wish I knew how she felt. I get she’s gay but what if she doesn’t return the feeling? Oh god that would be so embarrassing.”

Mabel walked out of the room while Bill and Dipper smiled brightly at each other, “Are we gonna tell them?”

“We’ll tell Pacifica when she comes tomorrow. She’s gonna shit herself.”

Dipper grabbed Bill’s wrist to drag him outside. He kept walking, not stopping until he reached the tree line. Bill stopped walking to pull Dipper back, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Mabel hadn’t seen them, “Dipper, your sister doesn’t want us going back in there.”

“It’ll be fine. I promise. I just wanna show you something.”

Bill opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted as Dipper pulled him into the trees. For once, there was a small path in the forest. A perfectly cleared little dirt road. Dipper dropped Bill’s wrist and began walking silently. Dipper kept his hands behind his back, his eyes focused on the path before him. Bill focused on the environment around them. He would constantly turn around to make sure that no creature would attack them this time. After a while of silent walking, Dipper came to a stop at a clearing, “You’re gonna like this.”

Bill tilted his head as he continued to follow the boy. The trees opened up to an empty field. As he walked further, he noticed it was a large cliff that overlooked the entire town, “How did you guys even find this place?”

“We got lost one day and wound up here. We loved it so much that we created the path here. It took a week of constant walking to kill that patch, but we did it. I can try bringing you back for the fireworks. The view from here is the most beautiful thing in the world.”

Bill sat down at the edge and let his legs dangle over the edge. His hands pressed against the ground as he leaned forward, “If I fell from here, do you think I’d die?”

“Okay enough of that, let’s head back before Mabel figures out where we went.”

Bill turned around with a pout, “Can’t we just spend a little more time?”

“It takes over an hour to walk out here. She’s probably aware that we’re missing. Do you really want a beating from Mabel?”

Bill shot up to stand beside him, “Lead the way home.”

Mabel stood on the porch with a rolled up newspaper held firmly in one hand. Her brown eyes narrowed as the boys emerged from the trees, “And where the fuck did you two go?!”

Bill ducked behind Dipper as they walked up the steps. Dipper held up his hands in defense, “I just wanted to show him the cliff. Nothing happened!”

She smacked the paper against his arm, “I told you to stay out of that place. I don’t care what you wanna see. You can’t even breathe in the forest’s direction!”  
She peeled Bill off of Dipper to whack him in the arm also. Bill hissed at her, “You’re the devil Star.”

She snatched their ears to drag them into the house. She sat them both on the couch and stood in front of them with her hands on her hips, “You’re both on lockdown for the rest of today and all of tomorrow. Neither of you can take one step out of this shack. And if I catch either of you trying to go back into that forest, I’m cutting your dicks off!”

They both instinctively shut their legs. Mabel stormed out of the room. Bill fell against the couch, “I tried telling you.”

“Oh shut up. Since when do you even listen to people?”

“Since it comes to Mabel! We’ve been bonding and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m scared shitless of her.”

Dipper couldn't help but laugh, "A seven foot demon is afraid of a five foot girl?"

"Bite me Pine Tree! She might be small but she's not someone to fuck with. It's like she's so confident that people will fear her that it actually works. And I can't help it that I'm so tall!"

"I'm tall even for a human, you're like a fucking giant. Why seven feet?"

Bill glanced at him, “Not like I had much of a choice. The standard height of a demon is 7 feet. So if you ever meet someone 7 feet or taller, assume they’re a demon.”

“I’m never gonna understand your species. Like how come your demon form affects your human form? I thought you got to choose that shit.”

“Why do you think I have blond hair Dipper? Your human form is heavily based off your regular form. So if a demon is black, they’ll have black hair. If a demon has three eyes, then they’d have a third eye which is always shitty. I have a yellow body, which corresponds to blond hair. I have one eye and I’m an Alpha, hence why my other eyes is just a black void. I-”

“Wait, what? Void? You mean, it’s not just a hole?”

“Not really. It’s the same make up as the Mindscape, just small enough to fit an eye socket. It ensures that I’m always connected to it.”

“Can I see?”

Bill raised a brow at the boy. He sat up straight as he slipped his eye patch off. Dipper looked at the black mass. It really did seem to resemble a black hole, “What if I stuck something in it?”

“You know what, I’m not entirely sure.”

Dipper grew a large smile. He grabbed Bill’s wrists as he walked into the kitchen. He pulled a simple straw out of one of the drawers, “Are you fine with this?”

Bill shrugged, “Go for it kid.”

Dipper stepped onto his tiptoes to give himself a better visual. The black hole practically sucked up the straw. He pulled it back out, amazed that it was still in tact, “Did you feel that?”

“Not at all,” he slipped the eye patch back on, “I’m starting to think that you’re going crazy.”

“I’m just interest in it. It’s not everyday you meet a creature that’s not from this dimension. So what if I stuck a knife in it?”

“Okay, we’re done. I’m not doing this.” Bill began walking out of the kitchen but was stopped by Dipper’s hand.

He held onto Bill’s arm with a soft grip, “I was joking. So you said something about your body not being as sensitive as humans. Explain that.”

“Every necessity that the human needs isn’t very strong for me. The body we inhabit is mixed with our own, how do I explain this? I wanna say DNA, but I wouldn’t really call it that. With the material we’re made out of? Anyways, since demons don’t really require anything to survive, we don’t need it as badly as humans do. Sure the human body still makes us feel tired and hungry, but takes a lot longer that it would for you. Imagine a human begins to get hungry every 4 ish hours, for me I only get hungry every 12 hours. Humans need at least 8 hours of sleep after being awake for let’s say 14 hours. I’d need 2 for every 56 hours awake.”

“Then why do you always eat with us? And why are you always the one begging me to go to bed?”

Bill shrugged, “It makes me feel included in your lives. Rather than just being by myself most of the time, I get to act like a human with you guys. And the sleeping thing I do for you. Your body can sense my aura even while you’re sleeping. It’s natural instinct is to panic and remember the nightmares I caused, making you have nightmares every night. If I’m not in there with you creating your dreams, you wouldn’t be sleeping anymore.”

“I didn’t expect a demon to care that much for a human.”

“It’s a part of the deal kid. I can’t bring any harm to either of you so I have to prevent the nightmares I cause. Makes sense?”

Dipper nodded before turning away from him. He began walking out of the kitchen yelling for the other twin. She popped out from the hallway with an angry look, “What do you want now?”

“Where’s Pacifica sleeping?”

Mabel’s eyes widened. She brought her hand up to smack her forehead, “Damn, I was so worried about the both of you that I totally forgot. Bill, your house arrest has been ever so slightly lifted. I need you to bring in two cots, set them up in the living room like last time.”

Bill nodded, slipping out of the room. Dipper stood in front of her as she tried to walk past him, “Can I go help him?”

“Hell no. I have a feeling you’re the one who talked him into going out there, so you’re stuck inside.”

“You’re the youngest and the smallest one here! How come you get to make all the rules?”

“Because in this house I’m the only one with a working brain! I’m the mother!”

Dipper watched her walk out of the room, muttering something under her breath. He crossed his arms over his chest as he went into the living room to watch tv. Bill soon walked into the living room holding two cots. He laid them against the wall before dropping to the ground, “Please tell me it isn’t always this hot.”

Dipper’s eyes drifted to Bill, “It should start to cool down in a couple months. You’ll get use to it.”

“Will you do me a huge favor an-”

“Nope,” Dipper stood from his seat, making his way to the demon, “Mabel told you to do it.” he bent over Bill holding a hand out to him.

Bill swat it away, “You’re the worst.”

Dipper snickered as he walked to the door. He glanced down the hallway before slipping quietly out the door. He stretched out his body as he made his way down the steps. He happily made his way over to the treeline. Taking one last daring glance at the shack before walking into the trees. He wasn’t too sure where he wanted to go but he could definitely feel something pulling him in a direction. After walking for a few moments more, he stumbled upon a mirror. He carefully approached the odd thing. It was in the shape of a triangle. The frame held strange designs, ones his own mind couldn’t even comprehend. He tapped a finger on the glass to see it ripple under his finger. He took a step back, scratching the back of his head, “A random mirror in the middle of nowhere? The fuck is it even for?”

As if the heavens heard his question, the mirror began to ripple violently before him. He took several steps back ready to run away from whatever came out of it. His eyes widened at the man who came tumbling out. His head tilted in confusion, “Uhm, who are you?”

The stranger looked up at him. Dipper felt a chill shock down his spine. It was Bill, but not Bill. This Bill had blue hair and blue clothes. A blue collar was strapped around his neck with a short blue chain connected to it. He wore an expression Bill never wore, terror, “Please don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean to touch the mirror!”

Dipper knelt down in front of him, “You never answered my question, who are you?”

Bill’s expression changed, “What do you mean? You know me very well, I’m Bill. Your Bill.”

"I do know a Bill, but he's nothing like you. Mind telling me where you're from?"

"Gravity Falls. Are you not Dipper Pines? Is Mabel Pines not your twin sister? Why are you so dressed down?"

Dipper chuckle, "You're right on both, but I don't think I'm the Dipper you know. I'll tell you what," he stood holding his hand out, "If you come with me then I'll take you to someone that might be able to help."

Bill looked at the hand. He slowly accepted it, allowing himself to be pulled up. He quietly followed behind Dipper. His eye constantly looking around the forest. Dipper stopped inches from the treeline, “I just remembered that my sister is a little crazy, so don’t be freaked out by how forward she can be. I promise you that no one will hurt you.”

He walked into the clearing with Bill behind him. An even more angry Mabel stood on the porch, their Bill stood beside her glaring at the new comer. Dipper quickly walked over to them, his sister meeting him halfway, “Dipper fucking Pines! What am I going to do with you! Bill’s a fucking demon for crying out loud, yet here he is. Still in the fucking shack like I told him. And what were you doing? Going back into those woods?!” her head snapped to the new Bill, “And who the hell is this?”

Dipper stood in front of him, “This is..this is Bill. I found a strange mirror while I was walking and he came out of it. I brought him back here hoping our Bill could tell us about him.”

The twins both turned to the blond, still glaring from a distance, “Yeah, I know exactly who this fucker is. I suggest you force him back through that mirror right now or else we’re all fucked.”

Mabel shook her head, “Nope, no, Dippers earned my attention. I want to know who he is.”

Bill’s eye turned to her, “Little do you humans know, Alternative Universes do exist. They’re not easy find but they’re real and the only way to travel to them is through a mirror. He’s from an Alternative Universe. One where he’s the one not in control. And if he’s not in control then god knows who it is. You’ve got your own twins, right?”

The new Bill tilted his head, “Yes, Dipper and Mabel Pines. Do these twins here have powers too?” his blue eye took a quick glance at their necks, “In my Gravity Falls, you two have amulets. It’s where you get your powers from. You both rule the town and everyone obeys you. It’s quite terrifying really.”

Bill walked closer to the smaller demon, “Amulet? What amulet?”

“Ah, well you see, I don’t think you have it here but for me, my lifeforce was put into a pair of amulets thousands of years ago by an angry witch. Anyone who gets their hands onto it has control over me and my powers. So you see, when Dipper was visiting on his first summer he found the amulets and the 3rd journal. Your grunkle Ford was the first to find the amulets, the power practically destroyed him so before he passed, he buried the book and the amulets. Due to certain things, you, Dipper, were drawn out to the amulets. He’s quite possessive over me,” he tugged at the collar.

“And that Dipper will tear up this entire town looking for him. I really think he needs to go home.”

Mabel looked up at the blue demon, “But look at him. He’s so scared. And surprisingly smaller than you. I say we let him live here, until they try finding him. We’ll call you Blue. You can sleep in my bed for now. You have my word that we’ll try hiding you from those two twins.” Mabel lead him into the small shack, completely forgetting the other two.

Dipper leaned against Bill, “Do you think this is a good idea?”

“Have you even heard a word I’ve said?! Pine Tree, you need to talk some sense into your sister or else you’ll both get killed.”

The brunet let out a long yawn, “Maybe tomorrow.” he grabbed Bill’s hand to drag him into the house and up to the attic.

Mabel stood in the attic with Blue sitting in the window sill, “I hope you don’t mind but Bill and Dipper sleep here too. They won’t bother you as long as you tune them out.”

Blue smiled softly at her, “Thank you Mabel.” his blue eye looked at the couple entering the room.

Dipper flopped onto his bed, cuddling close to his pillow. Bill stood beside Mabel with his arms crossed over his chest, “Star, I want you to think about what you’re doing. If they’ve got powers connecting to anything close to mine, then they will burn this place to the ground. He’s making it seem like they’re similar to me. You both know very well how crazy I get.”

Mabel groaned, turning to him. Blue’s eye turned to look at the yellow demon also, “Why can’t you just trust what I’m doing? I took you in, nothing bad happened. Well other than the fact that you almost died, but that wasn’t your fault. You’ve said it yourself that this forest hides all magical auras. It’ll hide him. We’ll be fine.”

“You know what, I’m not even gonna try anymore. If you wanna risk having this thing in the house, then be my fucking guest. When those two monsters come looking for him, I’m not helping either of you. You’re on your own.”

“Bill! Bill, come here.” their eyes turned to Dipper.

He laid on his back with his arms up in the arm. His hands made grabbing motions in Bill’s direction. Bill rolled his eyes before looking back at Blue, “Is your Dipper like this?”

“No, I mean yes of course we do share the same bed. But he’s not as kind as your Dipper. I would’ve been beaten if I had raised my voice like you do.”

Mabel hit Bill, “Do you see what I mean?”

“Whatever Star, good luck dying.” Dipper groaned loudly from the bed, “Oh shut up Pine Tree! I’m coming!”

Blue watched as Bill got into the bed beside Dipper. He slowly frowned, still watching them. Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper, who did the same thing. He tilted his head at the kind affection, “How I wish my Pines was like that.” Mabel turned to look at him, “He’s always so rough to me. Always pulling on my chain and pushing me around. I’m not sure if he even loves me anymore.”

“I’m sorry, I’m still confused on this. If your world is like a reversed version of ours then would that mean you’re like a couple there?”

“Yes, are they not yet?”

Mabel laughed, “Hell no they’re not. They always act like it but I don’t think they can stand each other. I guess that’s why we’re the opposite. You’ve got yours who actually does love you, but doesn’t treat you right. And then you’ve got these two idiots, they hate each other but are so affectionate with each other that it’s gross.” her eyes glanced to the rising moon, “Well, I’ll let you sleep now. Goodnight Blue.”

_Mabel came running out from the forest. Her face screamed fear as she went into her brother’s arms. Dipper’s eyes looked at the trees in shock. They were visibly shaking. His heart wanted to jump from his chest when he saw the two blue twins emerge from the trees. Both held matching frowns. Footsteps came from the porch, earning his attention. Both Bills stood beside each other, one looking terrified while the other looked plain angry. Dipper turned his attention back to the twins. The blue Dipper held his hand out, yellow flames burst to life, “Well would you look at that Mabel. We’ve found our little runaway.”_

_The blue Mabel smirked, the gem on her headband began glowing, “Thanks for taking care of him, but it’s time we head home. My brother here has been very worried about his pet.” she held out a hand, “Come Bill. We must go.”_

_Bill stood beside the twins while Blue coward behind the trio. Bill held out a hand as it emitted the signature blue flames, “I think he’s fine here. Now turn your little asses around and go back to where you came from.”_

_The twins began snickering. Mabel’s hand was the next to burn yellow, “Looks like these twins have a demon in their hands also. I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll be taking both of them. He’d be a very good pet.”_

_Mabel grabbed Blue’s hand to sneak back into the shack. The twins both looked at Dipper. Mabel raised her hand with a smile bringing Dipper up with it, “I suggest you hand him over before something happens to your precious Pines.” Dipper’s eyes narrowed at Bill, “Or maybe I’ll just take him back with me in exchange for my Bill. He’d make a good foot rest.”_

_Bill looked at the boy before doubling over from laughing. His eye turned black as he slowly stood back up, his laughter dying down, “I get that you think you’re the shit, but no one fucks with my Pine Tree.”_

_Dipper watched as Bill’s form started to change. His body got longer as his nails grew too, pointing at the ends. Black tentacles formed from his back, dancing around his body. His teeth grew to be sharper. He tilted his head to the twins as he snapped his fingers. Blue stood before them, his body trembling, “You put the kid down with care before I tear into your pet.” he let his hand rest on the smaller demon’s shoulder, his claw sitting dangerously close to his throat._

_The twins were shocked. They exchanged a quick glance before Mabel set Dipper down. Bill smiled as he returned to his normal self. He pushed Blue forward, “Take him and leave. I swear if I ever see your faces again, I’ll slit his throat without missing a heartbeat!”_

_Dipper wrapped himself in Bill’s arms. He watched as the other Dipper snapped his fingers for a chain to appear in his hand. The chain from Blue’s collar connected to it perfectly. The twins soon disappeared into the forest with the weak demon behind them. Dipper felt Bill’s grip tighten as the taller man rested his head on the boy’s shoulder. A soft kiss was pressed against his cheek._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sappy ass loves to give couples extreme height difference but that interferes with the fact that I think Dipper would be tall! Yet don't you think a demon would be strangely tall too? Just to clarify the heights I have for them in this story:  
> Mabel is 5'6"  
> Dipper is 6'1"  
> Bill is 7'3"  
> Blue is 7'0"  
> And for an added bonus!!! Pacifica is 5'9" Don't ask me why I chose those heights, it just felt right for me. (This is why I call Mabel so short and small in the story, she's so small compared to the rest!)


	13. Why Do Humans Love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italic text indicates when Dipper's in a dream.

Muffles voices spoke around him. Light flooded into the room. Dipper slowly opened his eyes. Mabel stood beside the window holding Waddles in her arms as she spoke. Blue sat on the opposite bed, listening closely to what she said. Bill sat with his back to the wall rubbing away at his tired eye as he attempted to listen to the girl. Dipper sighed as he moved to lay in Bill's arms. Mabel threw a pillow at the sleeping brunet, "Can you please wake up already? Even Bill is up before you! This is important Dipper!"

He rubbed his eyes as he turned over. Bill's arms wrapped around his shoulders, "What could be so important this early in the morning?"

"Oh I don't know Dip. Maybe the fact that Pacifica will be here tonight and we've got someone new living in the shack who, need I remind you, looks just like your demon!" Dipper bit his lip in response, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Anyways, Blue let me fill you in. Basically none of our friends know anything about who and what Bill is except for one of our friends and she’d kill him if she knew he was still alive. So in order to avoid any conflict, we call him Will when people are over. And to avoid suspicion of why he’s living with us, him and Dipper are dating. Now we just have to come up with a story for you.”

“I could just stay up here until she leaves.”

“No can do buddy. She won’t be leaving for another week. And Star likes to make sure that everyone’s involved even though they don’t want to.”

“I guess we could say that he’s Bill’s younger brother visiting for the holidays.” Dipper spoke as he played around with Bill’s hands.

“I think she’d be confused about them being twins”

“Fine! There’s two sets of twins in this house. No problem. He’s a brother visiting from, I don’t knew, New Jersey. Boom, you’re welcome. Now let me go back to bed.”

“I suppose that could work. Come with me Blue, we’ll talk more about it while you help me make cookies.”

The blue demon nodded as he followed her out of the room. Dipper smiled as they left, “Finally.” he crawled back to his spot and looked at Bill, “Well? Are you coming or not?”

“You’ll be fine on your own.” Bill got off the bed to sit in the window sill.

His gold eye looked around outside. Dipper leaned off the bed in his direction, “You’re worried over nothing. Just relax,” Dipper rolled off the bed, “Have fun doing that then.” he left to walk down to his office.

Dipper was quick to write up a few new pages to his book. The story had moved to something he could easily make up: a bond between a demon and a human. This part could easily be made up to fit his story. Yet one question stood out to him as his train of thought came to a stop. Dipper sat back in his seat, “Do demons even have feelings?” his ears perked when he heard Mabel and Blue’s voices from outside the room.

He poked his head out to see them walking into her art room. Dipper slowly turned the corner into the kitchen. Bill sat at the table staring out the window, not paying attention as the human sat across from him. He kept his brown eyes focused on his closed hands. “Tell me what it’s like to love.”

Dipper looked up in shock. Bill was still looking out the window with his chin resting in his palm, “Why are you asking?”

“Blue and Mabel were talking about it before they left. I don’t really understand love so I thought you could explain it.”

“Oh, well it’s like..like a warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach. It's like a fire in the middle of a cold night. You're happy all the time, yet scared all the time. It's like being on the best rollercoaster ride ever. In the very beginning, you climb in and think "I can't believe I'm doing this, what the hell was I thinking, maybe this isn't such a good idea, blah, blah, blah" except at some point, it's too late for backing out because you're moving. And you're climbing and then spinning and looping all crazy and the thoughts are that you're pretty sure you're going to survive because how many deaths are there, really, from people falling out of roller coasters? But you don't really know because you never really paid too much attention to rollercoaster fatality statistics because you weren't into riding roller coasters. Until now. And every twist and hairpin turn is exciting and you realize you're enjoying every scary minute and you start to just let go and trust...no, you start to truly believe...that you're definitely going to make it. Except there's always that "gotcha" turn when the bottom drops out and your stomach lurches, but then you're back flying again and you're laughing your head off because you made it and you're alive and this is all the most real stuff there is. And the ride begins to slow just a little bit, and the turns and twists are more like echoes of the stomach-turning ones from before, but you're okay with that. You're okay with everything. And  you're pulling into the place where you started from, smiling, happy, enriched, and knowing you're right where you always wanted to be. Do demons not have feelings?”

Bill tilted his head to get a peek at the boy, “We do in a way. You know the seven deadly sins right?” Dipper nodded, “Basically that. We are demons after all.”

“But isn’t lust one? Doesn’t that count as love?”

“It would if we loved that person, but we don’t. We only crave that person for the way they look. Think of it as having a one night stand with someone while you’re shit faced drunk. But greed is our most dominant feeling.” he snapped his fingers to make a bar of gold appear between them.

Dipper reached over to hold it in his hands, “You’ve been alive for thousands of years. Surely you’ve been with other demons, right?”

“Demons don’t really hook up. There’s no true emotions so there’s no fun in it. We like to dabble more in humans. It’s easy to manipulate them.”

“And not once have you ever experienced love?”

Bill turned his attention back to the window, allowing a long pause to sit between them, “It’s not in a demons nature to love.”

Dipper bit his tongue. He carefully placed the gold bar back down on the table before pushing himself from the table. Bill looked over at him when he heard the old chair scratch against the floorboards, “How’s the story going?”

He tensed up, “It was going great until you told me that.” **My feelings were going great also until you said all that.** Dipper let out a small sigh.

Bill gave him a large grin, “You’ll figure both out kid.” he winked, still keeping the smug grin on his face.

“Damn it, I hate you. Stay out of my head unless you need to recharge.”

“Remember Dipper, I’m a demon. We don’t listen. Unless,” the grin widened, “You wanna make a deal.”

Dipper held his middle finger to the blond as he backed out of the room. He made his way to the art room, making sure to knock before walking in. Blue sat on Mabel’s stool watching as she dug through her drawers. Dipper leaned against the wall beside him, “You said you’re in love with the Dipper in your Gravity Falls, right?”

Blue nodded, turning to look at him, “Yes. Why?”

“Just wondering. I know it probably doesn’t apply in every universe, but I was just talking to Bill about whether or not a demon was capable of love and he’s saying no.”

Blue looked over Dipper with a confused look until something hit him, “Oh I see. No, he’s wrong. They can feel love towards someone. He’s just never experienced it yet so he’s probably just saying no. That or he wants to sound tough.”

Dipper chuckled, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Mabel spun around with a sad expression, "Oh Blue hun. I guess I'm all out of the right colored yarn." she noticed Dipper standing beside him, "But, Dipper here will take you straight to the mall right now and get you some yarn. Matter of fact, you can go with him that way you can pick out some clothes. And take Bill with you, he seems bored today."

“Would you like to come with us too Mabel?” Blue looked over at her with a large smile.

“I love this guy. I’m sorry but I’ve got to stay here and work on some things before Pacifica comes. She’s begging me to make cupcakes. But when you come back we’ll start on the sweater.”

“Wait, you’re making him a Christmas sweater too?”

“Yeah, we don’t know how long he’ll be here and I wanna be prepared.”

“Maybe you should teach him how to knit. He seems like he’d like it.”

“Actually my Mabel taught me how when she was still kind. I wasn’t a big fan of it. I kept getting tangled in all the yarn.”

Mabel giggled, "You're the softest person I've ever met. Take some of Bill's clothes before you go out to the mall. And you won't be needing this anymore." she reached over to remove the collar around his neck.

Blue rubbed at his neck as he followed Dipper to the attic. Once they were ready, they raced each other to the kitchen. Bill turned around to look at them when he heard Blue's happy voice. He raised a brow as his eye looked over Blue, "Why is he wearing my clothes?"

"We're going shopping. Mabel said you looked bored so you're come with us. Plus she's got more baking to do so I suggest you come if you wanna live."

Bill sighed as he stood. Dipper and Blue sat up in the front leaving Bill in the back. Dipper was the one left to carry all the bags while the demons did their shopping. Dipper and Blue were the ones to lead the way around the mall. Dipper glanced over his shoulder to look at the blond, "How about we stop at the oddity shop, just for you?"

Bill smiled brightly as he took Dipper's hand in his. Bill was set loose into the shop, he was constantly picking things up to look over them. The brunet stayed close by his side to make sure he didn't drop and break anything. Blue stood close to the front of the shop, his eye refusing to leave a shrunken head. He felt like he could look at the thing for years and never get tired of it. He jumped when he felt a finger tap on his shoulder. He turned to face the couple. Bill held a strangely shaped skull in his hands, "Did you find something you like?"

Blue looked over his shoulder at the head. Bill and Dipper looked at it, "I like it Pine Tree. I say that if Blue wants it, then Blue gets it."

Dipper rolled his eyes, "Alright you can get it."

Blue smiled at them as he grabbed the head from the shelf. When they arrived back home, there was a black bentx sitting outside. Bill ran out of the car and into the shack. Dipper put a hand on Blue's shoulder as they walked up the porch, "Pacifica is more on the mean side, so don't take what she says too close to heart. But you're quiet and polite unlike Bill so I think she'll like you a lot."

Blue followed behind the boy as he walked into the house. Bags were ditched by the stairs. Voices sounded from the kitchen, "You should see what Blue got. I think you'll love it Star."

Eyes turned to them as they entered the room. Dipper sat at the table beside Bill. Mabel smile at the blue haired demon, "What weird little thing did you buy?"

He held out the small head, "I think I'm gonna name him Fred."

Mabel's face turned pale while Pacifica smiled, "That's so cool! Mabel you have to put that by the lizard head. Uhm, who are you exactly?"

"My twin brother. He's visiting. He likes to be called Blue for obvious reasons."

"Did you get the yarn?" Dipper nodded as he pulled the item out of a bag, "Oh perfect! Pacifica, I hope you don't mind but I promised Blue we'd get started on his sweater when he got back." she took the yarn and walked out of the room.

Pacifica leaned over the table a few moments later, "Is there an update on Mabel?"

Bill grew a wicked smile, "Our lips are sealed Blondie."

Her eyes grew, "I can't believe it. Should I ask her on a date during the fair tomorrow? Like how they do in those cheesy movies on the ferris wheel?"

Dipper rested his elbows on the table, "That would be the cutest thing ever, but make sure she has some cotton candy first."

"You're the best Dipper!" she gave hm a quick hug before leaving to join the other two.

Bill soon left after her to take care of his new clothes. Dipper did the same, joining him in the laundry room, "It's funny how you both like to wear colors that match your hair."

"Well at least it makes it easy to tell who's is who's. How would you wanna be asked out Pine Tree?"

Dipper snorted, "Why? Is little Bill gonna ask me out on a date?"

Bill bumped his shoulder into Dipper's, "Oh shut up. It's called a conversation kid."

"I've never really thought about it. Datings never really been my thing."

"Then what is your 'thing'."

Dipper looked up at him with tired brown eyes, "I've already told you, one night stands are my thing. I'm not the kind of person who opens up to people and let them into my life to get close. So going on dates and having relationships isn't something I want or care about. Better to give up before you run the risk of getting hurt."

"My god, who hurt you? But I see your point. I never understood how you humans can do the whole 'together forever' thing. Don't you just get so bored after a while?"

"It's called love Bill. I've already told you this too. We just find someone that we have a connection with. Someone who just gets you. Someone you can trust. You'll never get tired of that person, even when they make you mad. I guess for you it would be just a blink of your lifetime if you stayed with a human till they died. Would you wanna stay with a human for their lifetime?"

"I don't think I'd want to. Unless it was you. I'd be fine with sticking around you for a while."

"You're such a sap. Finish up the laundry for me. I'm gonna check on Mabel." Dipper left the room before Bill could get the chance to protest.

Dipper walked into the room with a smile. Pacifica sat on the stool playing around with a piece of clay. Blue had his arms raised out as Mabel moved around him, "How's the sweater going?"

"A lot better than Will's did. Up side to Blue is that he doesn't want much on his. Did I ever show you yours?"

Pacifica stood from the stool, speaking before Dipper could, "Are you and Will doing anything right now? I wanna watch a horror movie and he knows the best ones."

"He's finishing up the laundry, but we can pick one out while we wait."

Pacifica pushed past him to lead the way into the living room. They sat on the floor in front of the tv sorting through all the movies they owned as Bill walked in. He laid on the couch watching them silently. Dipper slammed his hand down on the ground as he held a movie out to Pacifica. She began shaking his shoulder yelling fir him to put it on. Pacifica laid on one of the cots as Bill pulled Dipper to lay on top of him. Half way through the movie, Pacifica and Dipper let out loud screams. Blue and Mabel came running into the room, "What happened?"

"The thing!" Pacifica pointed to the screen as she threw a pillow over her head.

Mabel dropped her knitting needles and hopped onto the cot beside the blonde. Blue sat on the floor in front of them. After a few more movies, Mabel had passed out, snoring softly. Bill carried a half asleep Dipper up to the attic. Pacifica looked at Blue before smiling, "So, where are you from?"

"New Jersey."

"Oh, that place always seemed so small to me. How are you liking Oregon?"

"It's better than my old home, so it's nice. Well, I better get to bed. Goodnight Pacifica." she waved him off as he left the room.

Blue walked into the room slowly. His eyes focused on the forest. the only sound came from Dipper shifting around in the bed, then Bill spoke softly, "Kid, if you're looking for them, you might not find them. Those mirrors weren't built for constant transport. There's a high chance that no one will go in or out of that mirror for the next three months."

Blue looked down at the other demon. His expression blank as he sat on his own bed, "How can you be so sure?"

"I used to go through them all the time for fun. I learned the hard way how the mirrors work. Do you want to go back or something?"

"Yes and no. I dislike the way they treat me there, and I love how kind Mabel is here. But I miss my Dipper, the both of you just remind me of what I could be doing with him. Mabel told me that you two hate each other, is that true?"

"Course not. He's my Pine Tree. You're a demon too, this has to apply in every universe. You've got a sigil, right?"

Blue's calm expression remained the same as he pulled a wrap off of his hand. He held his hand out to Bill, showing off a symbol etched onto the back of his hand. The same on that was etched onto Bill's back, "Do you have one too?"

Bill smirked, "I guess our worlds aren't too different after all."

"Then how come he doesn't love you back? He didn't reject you, right?"

"Please, do I look like I've gone crazy? He just hasn't figured it out yet. How long has yours known?"

"Since he was 18. The sigil kinda possessed me to get into his head and lead him to the book. I didn't mean to give him the location of the amulets. Ford was just dumb enough to bury them all together. Anyways, it was like love at first sight for us I suppose. We weren't always like this. We were happy in the beginning, loving each other dearly. Until the amulet took complete control over his mind."

Dipper groaned softly. His hand limply hit against Bill's cheek as he rolled closer to the demon. Bill grabbed the hand to hold it in his, "Yeah well, I wish we were happy. His mind has been so cluttered that I'm afraid of what it could do to him."

Blue smile softly, "He'll figure it out. Just be patient with him."

_Dipper came running down the stairs and into the living room. Pacifica and Mabel sat on the couch watching Blue. The small demon held a baby in his arms as he made little noises to it. Mabel smiled brightly at them, her hands holding onto Pacifica's. The blonde looked over at him with a happy frown. She let go of Mabel to walk over to him. She crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke, "First you get married before we do and now you have a baby before us? Come on Dip, let your sister have something first for once."_

_"Married?" Dipper looked down at his left hand to see a simple gold band on his ring finger.  
_

_Bill put his arm around the brunet. He placed his left hand over Dipper's, their rings clinking together, "Still amazed by it?" he looked at Pacifica next, "If Star wants something first then she should try being better than me. But that'll never happen! So what's next? How about a puppy Pine Tree?"_

_Mabel glared at him, "I swear Bill, if you even think about it I'll skin you alive."_

_The two demons let out a laugh to the girl. At this point, Bill's fingers had instinctively locked with Dipper's. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the gold ring that hugged the demon's tan finger. He leaned back against Bill's chest and smiled softly at his small family. Blue was next to walk over to them with the baby still in his arms. It was a small little boy with white blond hair and pale skin. He opened his eyes to tiredly look up at Dipper. One was a deep brown, while the other one was bright gold._


	14. Welcome To The Fair!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I had no idea what to do with this chapter so here's a soft day and more information about the Rev! Twins!

A sudden weight was put onto his body. Something began poking at his cheek. Dipper opened one eye to see Mabel bent over him, her finger constantly hitting against his face. He tilted his head up to see Bill laying on top of him. Pacifica stood in the doorway wearing her baby pink robe. Dipper hit his sister's hand as he rubbed his face. She stood up straight, crossing her arms in front of her, "Get up bro bro. We've got a full day planned. Blue is already ready to go, he's excited to get a taste of our Gravity Falls."

"Give me like five more years please."

Pacifica shuffled over to them, "Hell no, wake the fuck up before I pour my coffee on your face."

"I don't think Princess Lazy wants to get up anytime soon. Just come back for us in a couple hours." Bill snuggled closer to Dipper only proving his point more.

Pacifica leaned down, close to Dipper's face, "Dipper Pines, you have two seconds to get your ass out of this bed before I burn everything in that office of yours and destroy your laptop."

Dipper's eyes shot open to glare up at her. Her face blank and emotionless, waiting patiently for him to break. Dipper scrambled out from under Bill to start getting ready. Pacifica walked out of the room with her head up, Mabel followed behind her giggling. Bill still refused to get out of the bed even after everyone else had gotten ready. They all gathered up in the attic. Bill laid bundled under the thin sheets. Pacifica used every threat she could think of before giving up and storming down to the kitchen for a cupcake. Mabel tried every annoying tactic she had. When she tired out, she laid on top of Bill and resorted to begging him. Dipper rolled his eyes as he sat down beside them, "I'll tell you what Bill, if you get up, I'll take you to the oddity shop tomorrow."

"Kid, that's not enough. There's only one thing that I want."

"Mabel, get up for a minute." she raised a brow but obeyed him, Bill sat up slowly, "How about a deal then? I'll give you what you want and in exchange you get up and get ready with no complaints for the rest of the day. But you have to go the whole day before I give you what you want." Dipper held out his hand.

"Woah, wait no. Not till we're out of the room." Mabel dragged Blue out with her before shutting the door.

Bill looked down at the hand then back up at Dipper, "It's not a very fair deal though. How abo-"

"How about we just forget the deal then? I won't do anything for you and I'll just let Mabel come back up here and beat you with whatever she wants. Why don't I call her right now?"

Bill clapped a hand over Dipper's mouth, "Alright! I'm getting up! Stop it."

As soon as Bill had finished getting ready, they went down to the diner for a quick brunch then made their way to the fair. The group stood in front of the large old ferris wheel as Mabel spoke, "Okay so we have the choice of meeting here at a certain time, or we can just head back to the shack whenever we finish and meet there."

"Or how about you just stay here and we go back to the shack? You know how much I hate these fairs." Dipper crossed his arms over his chest.

Mabel copied his action, "It's not my fault that you got rejected by Wendy. I didn't think that it would be so traumatizing for you."

"Alright, I'm going home." he reached for Bill's hand, ready to walk away from the group.

A white tuft of hair walked towards them. Mabel and Dipper froze up, exchanging worried looks to each other. The short man stopped in front of them. He held his hands tightly behind his back as he forced a smile to his face, "Well fancy seeing you here. Mabel, I see you made a very fast recovery from that flu."

She let out a nervous laugh, "Yeah, well..we had friends visiting so I forced myself out of bed for the day. Can't let them down you know."

His eyes looked over the two new faces, lingering a little longer on the blue demon, "I see, yes, that's understandable. But you did promise me that you'd go to the fair with me. And you're here so." he held out a a hand to her.

Panic began flooding through her veins. Without thinking she took Pacifica's hand in hers, "I'd love to Gideon, but Pacifica is my girlfriend. She came a far way to spend time with me and I'd rather not get pulled away from her."

Pacifica stuck her tongue out to the short man. Gideon put a hand to his chest, "Perhaps I'll just spend time with your brother and his boyfriend. I'm sure we can all get along for a while."

"Nope. No. Fuck that. We're leaving." Dipper tugged Bill along with him, Blue followed close behind them.

Blue glanced over his shoulder to see Gideon still trying to get Mabel to spend the day with him. He turned back to the couple in front of him. Bill's arm was tightly around Dipper's shoulder keeping their bodies close together. The smaller demon tilted his head, "It's strange to see just how different this world is."

Dipper glanced at him, "Tell me about your world."

"Well, it's just the complete opposite basically. Pacifica and Gideon are siblings, adopted of course, and they're not big fans of you and your sister. Your lives are basically switched, they grew up in the small Mystery Shack while you and Mabel grew up in the mansion. Mabel is always chasing after Gideon, quite sad to watch it sometimes. Anyways, you're both pretty heartless there. You keep the town from having any fun like this. Not to mention you'll kill anyone that gets in your way, like your grunkle." 

Dipper's walking stopped immediately, "What? Are you serious?"

Blue nodded, "Your Grunkle Stan knew the story behind the amulets and what happened to his brother. So in an attempt to save you two, he tried to destroy the book along with the amulets, but you two were not about to let that happen. You killed him before he could get it done."

"I never thought that any version of us could be capable of that." Bill pulled them along to keep walking, "Anything else about how our personalities are different?"

"Oh yeah, we'll start with Mabel. In my world she's the more emotional one, but that isn't saying much since all she ever shows is anger. She has a very short fuse. If you breathe the wrong way around her you'll find a knife to your throat in two seconds. But she's still good at socializing and does the most of the talking for both of them. Take your sister's energy and creativity, but exchange it with anger and death. People find her to be the less scary twin actually. My Dipper is completely different from you. You never show any emotion to anything. I mean you have your rare moments where you'll let your anger out but that's about it. You're the calm twin, but you're the one they fear most. You're more like this Bill here."

"Take that as a compliment kid. You're batshit insane in their world."

"Oh shut up Bill," Dipper hit a hand against the demon's chest, "So Blue, if he's so emotionless then what's it like being in a relationship with him?"

"It was amazing at first, when he still felt things. But now, it's just..heartbreaking. He's abusive both mentally and physically. He never lets me out of his sight and he doesn't like when I talk without being told to. He's overprotective of me. He won't let anyone touch me, not even his own sister. He says he loves me more than anything but I just wished he'd still show it."

Dipper put his hand on Blue's shoulder, "Hey, you're in our Gravity Falls now. Here you'll be treated like fairly. You'll get the love you deserve from us. And god knows Mabel will not let you out of her hugs when you tell her how that Dipper treats you. You've got us now. You don't need them."

Blue smiled softly at him, "Thank you."

Throughout their walk home, they continued to talk about the differences between their worlds. When the girls returned home later that night Blue sat in the living room watching tv. Dipper stood in the kitchen with Bill clinging onto him. Mabel went to join Blue while Pacifica ran into the kitchen hitting the two boys repeatedly. She began hopping up and down as she spoke to them, "You guys! She said yes!"

Bill let go of Dipper to pick the girl up and swing her around in a hug, "I'm so proud of you."

She ran off to the living room when he let her go. Dipper leaned against the counter looking at him, completely ignoring his cooking. Bill looked at him with a frown, "You're gonna burn the food if you just stand there looking at me. I know I'm handsome, but you need to cook dinner."

Dipper shook his head, "Did you really forget about the deal?"

"We didn't shake on it, so it wasn't a deal kid. You used your sister to threaten me!"

"Alright fine then, I was gonna give you a kiss for not annoying me today but I guess not."

“Wait no.” Bill pulled Dipper close to him.

“Oh, so you do want one?”

“You’re a dick.”

“Yeah, I know. But you love me.” Dipper stood on his tiptoes as he pressed their lips together.

Bill broke the kiss shortly after, “Si seulement tu m’aimais en retour.”

Dipper rolled his eyes, “You and your language. Go tell the others dinner's ready.” he moved back to the stove to begin filling up plates.

After dinner, Mabel and Pacifica stood in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes while the other three went up to bed. Blue sat in the windowsill staring out at the forest around them. Bill laid on the bed staring up at the ceiling. Dipper stood behind Blue, “Are you okay?”

Blue didn’t move, “I feel like I’m missing something. But I know I shouldn’t miss that thing.”

“You’ll get over it with time. He treated you poorly. He doesn’t deserve you. And soon you’ll realize that too. Try and get some sleep, god knows what Mabel has planned for us tomorrow.” Blue watched as Dipper crawled into the bed immediately latching onto the now sleeping Bill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> “Si seulement tu m’aimais en retour.” = If only you loved me back.


	15. Time For The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.

Dipper woke up alone in the bed. He turned over to see that the bed beside him was neatly made. He sat up to stretch, letting the bones in his body make loud ungodly popping sounds. He slowly made his way down the stairs. Bill sat at the dining table with Blue across from him. The blue demon stared out the window watching the two girls outside with the large pig. Bill glared at the crossword puzzle that he worked on, "Bill, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Both demons looked at him in confusion. Bill stood to follow the brunet out of the room and into the living room, "What can I do for you Sapling?"

"How come you didn't pull me into the Mindscape last night? Or even give me a dream?"

"Your mind is breaking. It's been cluttered and busy that it needed a break last night. The dreams were only adding to the mess. And I can't pull you into the Mindscape, not right now at least. Things were stable at first, but now they're just falling apart and I don't know what to do. I'm sorry Dipper, I'm trying."

"Cluttered with what?"

Bill shook his head, "That's the problem, I can't figure it out. There's just so much going on."

Dipper put a hand against Bill's cheek, "Hey, it's fine. You're doing your best and that's what matters. If my mind breaks and causes me to go insane then fine."

Bill gave him a small smile as Blue's voice came from the kitchen, "Does Gideon always bother your sister?"

The duo walked back into the kitchen to see Gideon standing outside with the two girls. The short man soon turned around. His blue eyes looked through the window to lock with Dipper's eyes. A twisted smile was on his face as he wiggled his finger for them to come outside. Dipper stood on the front porch watching as the white haired man made his way up. He stood before him with his hands behind his back, "Good morning Dipper Pines."

"Gideon can you please leave Mabel alone? She's got a girlfriend now."

"Oh I know, but that's not why I'm here. I came to speak to you about your demons. I noticed the little blue one yesterday. Strange looking guy but still intriguing."

Blue stood close to the door with worry. Bill stepped forward to cover the demon from the man's sight, "What about it Twinkle Toes?"

"Well it's obvious to see that he's the opposite of our lovely Bill here. So, he's from a different world. I'd like to know where that mirror is please."

"And why should we tell you?"

"You want me out of your life right? Tell me where the mirror is and I'll leave this world for theirs."

"They'd eat you alive. They've got the amulets in that world and they know how to use them better than you ever did."

"Hmm, I see, but that wouldn't be a problem if your demon came along with me. Think about it Dipper, you'd be getting rid of two pests at the same time."

"My demon is not a pest, you are. It's about time you leave the both of them out of this. I'm the only one you hate, not them."

"I suppose I could lay off the new one, poor little thing looks scared to death. But the point is, where's the mirror Dipper? I know you know exactly where it is. Just tell me where it is and I'll be gone for good."

"Gideon, I'm trying to help you stay alive. If you go through that mirror then they'll kill you. There's two of them. Both have an amulet. It'd be like an ant compared to an elephant."

"Then I guess I could call up your friend and tell her the truth about your little boyfriend. How do you think Ms. Corduroy would react knowing you're so close to the demon that tried so hard to kill her? Do you think she'd still want to stay in contact with you and your sister? Or do you think she'd do almost anything to talk some sense into you?"

"I won't tell you where it is exactly because I don't know where it is. I do know that it's in the forest, deep in. In that direction." he pointed in front of them.

Gideon smiled, "Nice doing business with you Dipper." the small man turned away to walk into the forest.

The two girls came walking around the corner as he disappeared. Pacifica's eyes narrowed at the man. Mabel bounced up the stairs, "What did he want?"

"The mirror."

"You do realize he'll get killed out there, right?"

Dipper shrugged, "I tried telling him that but he chose to ignore it and threaten me instead. Let him die out there."

Pacifica turned to them, "What mirror?"

The twins exchange looks. Dipper peaked over his shoulder to see Blue standing beside Bill. Mabel nudged Dipper's side, "Should we tell her?"

"Well she kinda is part of the family now. Matter of fact she's always been a part of the family." he turned back to the blonde, "Pacifica I think it's time we tell you something."

The twins sat the girl on the couch and stood in front of her, like two parents ready to give their child the talk of their lives. Blue sat beside her with his hands folded in his lap. Bill had left to hide up in the attic. Pacifica looked at the twins, "What's going on?"

"Please don't freak out when we tell you this but Blue and Bill are both demons. And Bill tried killing us when we were kids. And Blue isn't from this world. And Bill and Dipper aren't actually dating. And yeah, that's it."

Pacifica was silent for a moment as she tried to process what the girl said, "I wish I understood a thing you just said, but I don't. Dipper, your turn."

"Alright so seven years ago when we first visited, Gideon basically summoned Bill to steal some codes from our grunkle's head. Little did that idiot know, Bill is a maniac and should never have been released from wherever he came from. He basically tried starting an apocalypse the moment his end of the deal was done. He was gonna destroy everything and kill everyone. He almost succeeded if it hadn't been for our grunkle Ford. He locked him in his head and killed himself to get rid of him. But it turns out that didn't work. And Bill did some things in his dimension that's gotten him in trouble so now he's hiding out here. As for Blue, he's from an Alternative Universe. They're all connected through mirrors and I just so happened to find his the other day. I brought him back here because his world wasn't the nicest place. God Mabel, it's like we're a foster home for demons."

Pacifica's mouth was wide open, "He tried killing you guys? Yet you're dating him?"

Mabel put her hands up to defend her brother, "They're not dating, it was just a lie we made up so that no one would question us. I panicked."

Pacifica stood from her spot, "But he tried to kill you guys! You can't just let him live in the same house as you! Especially sleep in the same bed as you Dipper! What if he tried to kill you again?!"

"Let's not forget the fact that he traumatized you Dipper." Blue's quiet voice spoke up behind the blonde.

Pacifica's eyes only grew larger. Dipper scowled at him, "Blue, now is not the time to start listing everything he's done wrong."

"Oh so there's a list now?! What else is there? What else has he done?"

Mabel put a hand on Pacifica's shoulder, "Please, calm down. It was all in the past. We've moved on and forgiven him. He's a completely different person now."

"Person? You really think that he deserves to be called that? He's a monster Mabel. You can't let that thing live here any longer!"

Dipper shook his head, "He's not going anywhere. Pacifica, you don't know everything. You're blindly fighting against him. Sure he ruined my childhood and put me on pills for years. He might have forced me into an attempted suicide. He might have tried to kill us all. He might have tried to destroy the world. He might have destroyed my mind. But he's staying and nothing you or anyone else says is gonna change my mind on that. He's done everything he can to make up for the wrongs he's done. I got into a near death experience twice, he risked his ass, both times, to save me. He almost died doing that! He's been doing everything he can to put my mind back together and keep my old nightmares away. He's constantly by my side to make sure that I'm not in danger. He's always making sure that I'm happy. He's the one who holds me when I have my panic attacks. He's the one who makes me feel loved. He's not the same Bill Cipher as before." Dipper sat on the couch beside Blue, holding his head in his hands.

Mabel stood there in shock along with Blue. Pacifica merely smiled as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry Dipper. I guess I should start listening to the full story rather than assuming."

He glanced up at her, "It's fine. Everyone says the same thing about him."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Only you and Gideon. Please, promise us you won't breathe a word of Bill to Wendy. She hates him more than anything. We can't risk her finding out," Pacifica nodded, "We should probably go talk to Bill."

Blue and Mabel began leaving the room. Pacifica stayed back with Dipper until they were out of earshot. She sat down beside him, “Do you love Bill?”

“I’ve been asking myself that same question for the past week. I’m just so lost and confused about it. He’s a demon after all. They don’t really have emotions. Yet the way he acts and speaks makes me feel like he might.”

“You and him found out about Mabel’s feelings for me. How about I return the favor and talk to him about it?”

He shifted his head to look at her, “Thanks.”

Pacifica and Dipper were the last to enter the room. Blue sat on his bed with Mabel beside him. Bill leaned against the window with his arms crossed over his chest, “If you wanna yell at me Blondie, then get it over with.”

“I’ve got nothing to say. Other than, thank you for taking care of him and trying to make up for it all."

Bill slowly looked up at her. Dipper stood behind her, his eyes glued to the ground as he picked at his cuticles, "You're welcome Blondie. But you really shouldn't be thanking me for anything. None of you should even like me. I did the worst thing anyone could do. I ruined your lives. You should've just left me to rot," his eye fell onto Dipper, "Kid, stop doing that. come here." he held his arms open for the brunet.

Dipper slowly looked up at him. His dark eyes beginning to fill with tears. They all watched as he made his way into the demon's arms. He buried his face into Bill's chest allowing a few silent tears to fall. Bill hummed softly, rubbing the boy's back. Mabel tilted her head, "You're wrong Bill. So very wrong. If you hadn't come back then god knows how bad Dipper could have gotten. You've just got a way of calming him down. I can't even get him to open up to me the way you do." she stood up, "We'll go make lunch. Come down when he's ready."

Bill watched as they left the room. He rested his head on top of Dipper’s, “That was sweet of you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“What you said to Pacifica. Thanks for backing me up.”

Dipper looked up at him. Tears stained his cheeks, “Has a demon ever been able to love a human?”

“I’ve seen it a few times. It’s not very often.”

There was a soft knock at the door, Pacifica peaked her head in, “Hey Bill, can I talk to you out back for a bit?”

He looked down at the brunet, “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’ll go hang out with the others.”

Dipper sat at the dining table with Blue talking about other possible universes. Bill stood outside with Pacifica, his hands stuffed away in his pockets, “So what’s up?”

“I was just curious about you and Dipper. You two seem really close for people who are just friends.”

Bill glanced back at the shack before taking a step towards her, “You want the truth? Fine, but you’re gonna regret knowing.”

“You can’t just treat him that way if you don’t have feelings for him! That’s so fucked up Bill!”

He raised a brow, "Did I ever say that? Not once did I say that I never loved that kid. So here's the deal, it's possible, very rare, that a demon and human are soul mates. Dipper's mine and I'm his. But he doesn't know, and no one can tell him until he figures it out on his own."

"Wait, soul mates are an actual thing? Why I can't I tell him? It'll help him figure things out."

"If you tell him before he decides for himself, then his mind collapses on itself and he dies."

Pacifica looked back at the shack. Her eyes focused on the brunet sitting in the kitchen, “Can’t you just tell him how you feel?”

“That would count as telling him and killing him. Pacifica, you have to promise me that you won’t breathe a word about this to anyone.”

She looked back at the demon, “You really do love him don’t you?”

“More than anything. And it hurts me so damn much to know that he doesn’t feel the same way.”

“From the way he looks at you, he does. He just hasn’t realized it yet. Yeah sure, I won’t tell anyone.”

Bill smiled at the girl as the backdoor opened up. Mabel stuck her head out, “We’re thinking about heading into town in a bit. Come in and eat.”

Bill slipped into the seat beside the small brunet. Blue sat on the other side of Dipper looking over the crossword puzzle. Pacifica sat across from them with Mabel sitting beside her. They ate in silence for a while before Pacifica spoke up, “I don’t wanna be that person, but I hope Gideon dies while he’s out there.”

“I keep offering to do that but no one in this house will let me.” Bill didn’t look up from his food as he spoke.

“Let the man live his life a little!”

“Blondie please move in so I don’t go insane with these two.”

Mabel kicked his shin from under the table, “We’re keeping you sane Bill. If you’re gonna look human then you’ve got to act human.”

Dipper looked up from the crossword that he and Blue worked on, “Humans kill humans though. So technically, it’d still be a human thing.”

Mabel kicked Dipper’s shin next, “If you want to live in this house then you can’t do anything that could get you arrested. I don’t need the stress of cops tracing anything back here. I’m gonna throw you all under the bus.”

Blue looked up at the group, allowing Dipper to snatch the puzzle and lean against Bill, “What’s the plan for today?”

“Well I was thinking that we could go hang out at the mall. I’ve got some shopping that I need to do. You can stay home if you don’t wanna come.”

Bill remained at the shack while the rest piled into Pacifica’s car and went into town. Dipper and Blue followed the girls around everywhere they went, in and out of every store. His brown eyes danced around searching for something. He smiled brightly when he found the old sign hanging above the small store, “Blue, I think we should take a break from helping the girls. Wanna come with me?”  
He nodded quickly, following Dipper into the store. Everything looked old, but they all held an interesting story. He grabbed the demon’s wrist to pull him farther into the store, “You strike me as someone who likes old fashion things. So I thought you’d like this,” he reached up for a strange box sitting on a shelf.

He opened the lid to reveal a small black camera. Blue took the old thing out with wide eyes. He turned the object over in his hands, admiring the designs engraved on it, “I had something similar to this back in my world. It’s my prized possession.”

“Well then perfect! You can have it if you want.”

Blue placed it back in carefully. He took the box from the boy’s hands to hold it close to his body as they kept walking around the store. Dipper would occasionally pick up something up to look at it. He picked up a few items for himself, handing them to Blue to hold for him. Towards the front of the store sat the black piano that Bill played with. Dipper walked over to it letting his fingers run over the keys, “Me and Bill came here on his first couple days here. He started playing this piano and he seemed really happy to be doing it. Do you think he’d want it? He never really talks about the things that he likes.”

Blue looked over the large instrument, “We might be complete opposites, but our interests are almost identical. Playing the piano is one of his favorite things, he’d love it. There’s just the issue of where to put it.”

“I can clear some space in my office for it.”

“Then let’s get it!”

After purchasing their things, they walked out to see the girls sitting on a bench waiting for them. When they arrived back at the shack, Pacifica and Mabel dragged Bill out to the back. Dipper and Blue stood in the office positioning the piano. When they were satisfied they ran to the back with excitement. Bill looked at the group with confusion, “What’s going on?”

“I brought something back for you.” Dipper took his hand to lead him into the office.

Bill’s face lit up when he saw the piano sitting beside the desk. He wrapped Dipper in his arms, planting a sweet kiss against the boy’s cheek, “This is amazing!”

He dashed over to stand beside the piano. He reached a hand inside to mess around with the strings inside before sitting down and pressing down a few keys, “Dipper, come here. I’m gonna teach you a song.”

Pacifica rolled her eyes, “This is getting gay, I’ll be in the living room.”

Mabel giggled as she followed behind her. Blue decided to hang around for a while to inspect Dipper’s belongings. Bill took both of Dipper’s hands to place them over the right keys, “Bill I’ve never touched a piano before. This is pointless.”

“Shush, you’re gonna learn and that’s final.” Bill pressed down lightly against the boy’s fingers, “This will help build muscle memory.”

Dipper kept his eyes focused on their hands, his mind trying to memorize which keys to press and when. Bill repeated the song a few times before letting go of Dipper’s hands, “Now you try.”

Dipper lingered on the keys for a while before slowly pressing down. He looked up at Bill after playing through the short song, “That was awful, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but it was better than most people on their first try. Do it again.”

Dipper frowned before turning back to the keys. This time, the song went smoother. Blue stood beside them, “Interesting song to choose Bill. You did a very good job Dipper.”

He looked at the blue demon with a small smile, fully unaware that the demon sitting beside him was fighting back tears. Dipper tried the song once more, “I guess this couldn’t be so bad.” he looked at Bill, “Do you think you could teach me more?”

“Of course I can, but for right now I won’t. Both of you out. I wanna be alone with my new love.”

Dipper chuckled as they walked out of the room. Both of them sat outside the closed door listening to Bill play. He remained in the room for a few more hours before finally leaving. By the time he emerged from the room, Blue and Dipper had left. Blue sat in the living room watching movies with the girls. Bill stood in the doorway, “Where’s Dipper?”

Mabel looked over at him, “I think he went to bed.”

Bill went up to the attic. He pushed the door open to see Dipper’s sleeping form on the bed. His body tangled in the sheets as he ever so slightly began twitching. Bill frowned, crawling into the bed to gather the boy in his arms, “Je suis désolé de t’avoir fait ça. Je t’aime.” Bill whispered softly into the boy's hair before shutting his eye.

_**Dipper ran with everything he had. Old memories began tearing away at his vision. His old screams filled the empty space around them. His heart dropped when he saw the memories coming towards him, blocking him from an escape. Panic fled through his body. Unsure of what to do, he dropped to the ground. His hands cupped over his ears as his eyes squeezed shut. His body rocked back and forth as he whispered to himself. He felt their dark and sad vibes hitting against his skin as they closed in on him. Tears managed to escape from his eyes, " **Je suis désolé.”**** _

_**Dipper's eyes shot open at the familiar voice. The memories around them slowly began to fade away. The darkness dissolved to the field of flowers. Bill stood with his back to Dipper. His gaze focused up at the sky. Dipper stood up, quickly making his way to wrap his arms around the demon's waist, "Thank god you're here."** _

_**Bill turned around in the brunet's arms, "You should've waited for me."** _

_**"I didn't wanna take you away from the piano. You were just so excited to see it."** _

_**Bill rolled his eye, his arms moving to hold the boy, "There's always tomorrow. Your mind is more important to me than a piano. Now then, do you want a dream or deep sleep?"** _

_**"Neither, I'm fine here."** _

_**"Great, we might actually be able to solve your little problem while you're here."** _

_**Bill snapped his fingers for them to appear before the two trees. He pointed a finger to a tree that Dipper hadn't seen before. This one was smaller and more twisted than the other two. There was no aura surrounding it. Dipper walked closer to the tree, "How come I didn't see this the last time?"** _

_**"It wasn't big enough to be seen. This tree only appears in the Mindscape when there is a problem that begins to destroy the mind. When you touch it, it takes you into a hall. There you have to go through these trials in order for your problem to be resolved. It's the best I can offer to fix your mind."** _

_**Dipper shrugged before putting his hand against the cold tree. He stood alone in the dark corridor. The walls were painted black with blurry pictures hanging on every inch of their surface. A dark red rug laid beneath his feet, running out of sight. It seemed to go on forever down the dark hall. The sound of flapping wings came from the darkness. He followed after until he reached the end where a strange large black bird stood. He was perched on a tangling black tree. His black feathers sleek against his body that glistened with his soft breathing. His beak almost blending in with the rest of him if it weren't for the gold band that separated it from his face. Red eyes glowed as they looked down at Dipper, "Welcome child, scientia aut mortem."** _

_**Dipper looked up at the bird in fear, "I'm sorry, what now? Knowledge or death? What does that mean?"** _

_**"It means exactly what I said to you. Here, you shall receive either knowledge on how to solve your problem, or you shall die trying."** _

_**"Oh well isn't that just peachy. Okay, uhm, well, how do I get this knowledge to avoid dying?"** _

_**The bird merely shook its head, "Forgive me, I am not prohibited to hand you the answer. However, I can offer guidance to the truth. All you have to do is ask the right questions."** _

_**"Hmm, give me some possible outcomes."** _

_**The bird nodded, "Be careful with what you choose in the end. Ask too many questions, you will die. If you are told before knowledge is obtained, you will die. Be too slow and let your mind corrupt itself, you will die. Get separated from him, you will die. Say no in the end, someone important to you goes insane. But, if you can realize the truth in time, you will live in peace. You must be fast young Pines. Your mind does not have much time to stay stable. As each day goes by, still unsolved, this tree will grow. It will keep growing until it has taken a hold of every inch of your mind and eventually leads to your death."** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> “Je suis désolé de t’avoir fait ça. Je t’aime.” = I'm sorry I did this to you. I love you.  
> “Je suis désolé.” = I'm sorry.  
> "Scientia aut mortem." = Knowledge or death. (Latin; yeah I'm aware that I'm obsessed with Voltron but I really like this saying and I think it fits with the story so fight me)


	16. Saltier Than The Dead Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's an early update since I was too excited for this chapter!!
> 
> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> italic text indicates their thoughts.

Bill sat in the window sill with his legs curled close to his chest. His chin rested on his knees as he looked towards the window. One hand was wrapped around his legs while the other traced lines into the window. Dipper's eyes rested on the demon, "Are you excited for the fireworks tonight?"

Bill didn't turn around to look at him. Nothing came out of his mouth, nor did his body move to indicate a response to Dipper. The brunet frowned as he slowly got out of bed and left the room without another word. Blue was the only one sitting in the kitchen when he got downstairs. His eye was also focused on the outside world, yet he at least acknowledged Dipper's presence, "Morning Dipper!"

He sat across from the blue man, "Mornin'. where are the girls?"

"I think Mabel forced Pacifica to get her more fireworks. Your sister is very excited about this. She already has a box full of them in her studio."

"Other than Christmas, it's her favorite holiday. Does your Gravity Falls do this too?"

"They use to. Until you two took over it. I've missed it."

"You won't be missing it when you see how Mabel gets. She burned half the forest down on her first summer here."

Blue chuckled, "That's Mabel I guess. My twins use to be like the both of you. Strange to think Dipper use to be happy and lively like you. Mabel use to be the bubbliest thing around. She could turn any sad thing into the happiest days for you. But now they're just gone. Emotionally dead. It's like they took my sociopathic side and all I was left with was their fear," he looked up at Dipper, his dark expression immediately brightening, "Where's Bill? He doesn't seem like the type to sleep much longer than you."

"Upstairs. He's awake but he doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

To their surprise, Bill turned the corner into the kitchen. He stood in front of the open fridge to inspect its content. Dipper and Blue watched him for several moments before the demon shut the fridge and walked out of the room. Blue turned to Dipper, "I see your point. What could have gotten into him? He should be excited. They're about to send explosions into the sky. Isn't that his favorite thing?"

Before Dipper could reply, soft music began playing around them. He felt a pain in his chest but chose to ignore it, “I think he’s just worried. It’s probably putting him off.”

“Worried? About what?”

Dipper shrugged. He pushed himself away from the table to follow the music. He walked into the office to find Bill slumped over the piano. His fingers moved swiftly over the keys as he stared up at the ceiling. Dipper sat beside him, watching his hands move, “Are you okay?”

“Just peachy, why do you ask?” Bill didn’t take his attention away from whatever he had chosen to look at.

“This is why I asked. I’ve only been awake for less than 30 minutes yet you’ve already ignored me and you’re refusing to look at me! Did I do something to upset you or something? Did something happen?”

“If you want me to be honest, then yes, something happened. But it doesn’t matter kid.”

“If something happened then I want to know about it. Talk to me.”

Bill’s hands slammed down on the keys. He slammed the cover down and left the room. Dipper followed after him, grabbing his arm as they neared the stairs. The demon spun around to glared down at him, “Just talk to me. Please.”

“All I want is to be left alone.”

"Bill, I'm not just gonna let you sulk around like this. You're always looking out for me, let me return the favor. Please."

Bill ripped his arm from the boy's grip, "You're the problem Dipper! Leave me alone." he turned to head up the stairs before Dipper could respond.

Blue stood at the end of the hall watching. Dipper turned around to look at him with sad eyes, "Dip, just give him some time to himself. You can't pressure a demon into doing something they don't wish to do. He's got his anger issues, he'll lash out for no reason. Just let him calm down."

Dipper nodded slowly. Mabel came running into the house seconds later, "You guys! They had a huge last minute sale so we bought a shit ton more! We'll be stocked up for years! Help us take them down. Bill!" Mabel bounced to the end of the stairs, "Get down here and help!" she turned to leave as Dipper spoke.

"He's not really in a good mood."

She rolled her eyes, "He better be in one later." she ran back out to help Pacifica with the boxes.

Pacifica stood by the car removing a box from the trunk. A few bags sat by the bottom of the porch steps, "Hey Dip! Can you bring out the box from the studio? Mabel wants to sort through them so they're ready for tonight and all the years to come."

Blue helped the couple unload and sort through the boxes outside as Dipper brought out the last one, "You guys do realize it's barely 2. You won't be able to light these things for a long time."

Mabel waved a hand at him, "That's not the point. The point is we've got a butt ton to sort through and I want this done before the town sets off their first one."

Pacifica stood up to wipe her hands on her hips, "We should probably get buckets and fire extinguishers in case this one burns down the shack."

Mabel reached up to hit the girl's thigh. Blue chuckled beside her, still digging through the boxes. Dipper rubbed at his temples, "Yeah, sure. They should be in the shed. Along with the chairs."

Pacifica dragged the boy along with her. She stopped in front of the shed and looked up at the attic while Dipper began his hunt through the mess. Bill was still sitting in the window sill looking down at them, "What's up with him?"

"I don't know. When I tried talking to him he just got angry and said he was upset because of me."

Her head snapped to him, "What?! He just yelled at you and didn't even tell you what you did wrong?"

Dipper shrugged as he walked out with a couple of buckets, "If he wants to be salty then fine, let him. I tried fixing the problem but he doesn't care to fix it."

Dipper and Blue remained out in the front still going through the fireworks while Mabel and Pacifica marched up to the attic. Pacifica sat on one of the beds as Mabel stood before the demon with her hands firmly on her hips, "What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't just yell at my brother like that! He hasn't even done anything wrong to you Bill!"

Bill kept his gaze fixed on the forest, "I'm just worried about him Mabel. I just think it's best if I keep my distance from him for a while."

"You can't just- no, I want you to go down there right now and apologize to him. He didn't do anything, he even tried helping you for crying out loud! You had no right to raise your voice at him."

He let out a small laugh, turning to look into her brown eyes, "You don't get it Star. I'm breaking your brother's mind by being so close to him. He's better off without me being around and keeping my distance."

Pacifica's ears perked up, "Mabel, hun, can you go downstairs and start defrosting the meat for dinner? I need to talk to Bill alone please."

Mabel looked at the blonde for a few seconds before leaving the room. Pacifica waited until the footsteps had faded away before talking, "I thought you said it would only do that if he knew before he could figure it out on his own."

"Yeah, that is what I said. But he's just so confused by his own emotions that his mind's already eating away at itself. If I put some distance up then his feelings will go away and his head will clear up. It's easier to lose him than to watch him slowly kill himself."

"That might be true, but you're really dumb for thinking that. You're only going to make things worse for that poor kid. He does love you, so much it's gross, but he's conflicted with it because of that summer when you tried to kill him. You can't just start building up a wall when you've gotten this close, it's too late for that. You can't just treat him like he's the only person you see then go on to act like he doesn't exist. You'll just tear him apart. You have to keep treating him the same for him to realize what he wants. Or else you'll just push him closer to death."

Bill sighed, his head turning to look back out the window, "Yeah, I guess. Just..I just want to sit up here for a little longer. I'll apologize soon, I promise."

She smiled brightly at him, "Okay great. I'll see you later then."

Mabel stood by the counter squeezing lemons into a pitcher when Pacifica walked into the kitchen. Mabel held out a glass to her before she could reach up to one of the cabinets, "Lemonade? I swear there's no Mabel Juice in this." Pacifica raised a brow as she accepted the glass to take a sip, "There's just a lot of vodka in it."

Pacifica took the glass away from her lips, a few small coughs escaped from her mouth, "You could kill people with this."

Mabel smiled brightly at her, "Then it's perfect!" she took two other glasses before leaving the room.

She made her way down the stairs to hand the drink over to Dipper and Blue. Dipper examined the drink as Blue went straight to chugging it down, "What's in this?"

“No Mabel Juice, only vodka.”

“Mabel! You can’t just give Blue this shit!” he grabbed the glass from the demon to pour it over the dirt, “Are you trying to kill him?!”

Mabel rubbed her chin, “You know, I actually forgot that he’s new here. Sorry Blue! We’ve built up an unhealthy immunity to alcohol. Come with me, we’ll get you some water.”

Dipper set the glass on a step before returning to the boxes. His ears perked when he heard the front door open once again. Bill sat on the steps beside him, “Hey Pine Tree.”

“What do you want?”

“I’m sorry for getting mad at you earlier and pushing you away. I’ve just been so worried about you.”

Dipper looked up from the box, “So you decided to get mad at me?”

“Kid, I’m a demon. We’re not the best with emotions.”

“Yeah, whatever. Is that all?”

Bill reached out to hold Dipper’s hand, pulling him closer, “Are you really gonna be mad at me?” he placed his other hand on Dipper’s hip.

Dipper let his arms rest on the demon’s shoulder, “Of course I am. It’s my turn to be salty.”

“You don’t seem very mad.”

Dipper immediately grabbed onto the back of Bill’s hair to yank his head back, “I’m pretty mad at you.”

“You’re not helping your point.”

Dipper let go of the blond hair, “Fine, I’m not mad. Help me organize these stupid things. Mabel wants them organized so that they’re ready for tonight and the years after.” Dipper moved to continue his sorting as Bill stood to help.

After a few hours of mindless organizing, Mabel and Blue came out of the shack with things for the night. Pacifica came around the side wheeling a small grill behind her. The two girls stood by the grill making burgers while Blue played around with the pig. Dipper and Bill remained sitting on the steps of the porch watching them. Dipper’s head rested against the demon’s shoulder as he messed around with Bill’s hands. Bill’s eye focused on the setting sky, waiting for the fireworks to start. He flinched when he felt Dipper’s finger trail over his arm, “What’s up with these?”

Bill glanced down at him, “They’re runes that keep me bound to this body.”

Dipper jumped when the first firework was shot into the sky. Mabel began screaming as she ran to the boxes. Blue scrambled to help her pick out what they were going to shoot off. The duo remained on the stairs, watching the other three run around with their fireworks. Dipper nudged Bill, earning his attention, “How about I take you to the best view of the fireworks?”

“If you’re talking about the cliff then no. Star won’t let us back into the forest.”

Dipper began standing anyways, bringing the demon with him. They stood in front of Mabel, Dipper gave her his biggest puppy dog eyes, “Mabes, can we please go off to cliff? Just for a few hours to watch the fireworks?”

She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when Pacifica wrapped an arm over her shoulder, “Hell yeah you two can go! Have some fun!” Mabel smiled at them, nodding her head.

Dipper and Bill walked through the forest, hand in hand, quietly. Bill immediately sat on the edge of the cliff leaving Dipper to stand behind him. The brunet knelt down behind him to wrap his arms around Bill’s shoulders. One of Bill’s hands held loosely to the boy’s arm while the other one kept him sitting up right, “I think fireworks should be more dangerous. Like make them bigger and louder.”

“If they made them any bigger then they might set this entire town on fire. We’re in the middle of a forest.”

“Then set fire to the town! No one will care.”

“Everyone would die. Mabel would die. I would die. Would you really want that?”

Bill’s grip tightened, “Not really, I’d be lonely without you.”

Dipper sat down behind him, letting his legs cross over Bill’s lap, his arms moving down to hold his waist, “When the demons decide to stop chasing you, are you gonna leave?”

There was a small pause. Dipper could feel his heart being ripped from his chest, then Bill spoke up, “I don’t think I’d have the heart to leave. I’ve been alive for centuries kid. I’ve been alone my entire life, meeting new people and making all sorts of friends. They came and went, I never found them interesting enough to keep around. But you and Star? You’re the only living creatures I’ve ever actually liked. I like being here with you two, even though you both annoy me. No, I’d stay until you got tired of me.”

“We’d never get tired of you. You make living in that shack fun even though you’re the biggest pain in the ass.”

Bill’s fingers began tapping on the ground to a beat, “Do you think you could ever forgive me for what I did?”

“I already did. I’m over it. It’s in the past for a reason. Besides, you’re a new and better Bill. A Bill that actually cares about us.”

“But could you ever trust me again? I mean, the first time we met I threw that trust right back in your face after two minutes of knowing you.”

Dipper let out a long breath against the demon’s back, “If you think about it, I kinda already do. You sleep right next to me every night, you’re always in my head. At any moment you could just kill me yet I’m willing to let my guard down around you. So yeah, I trust you more than anything.”

“Would you still trust me even if I lost myself? Would you still want me around if I went batshit insane and couldn’t control myself?”

“I think I would. Even if you did go crazy you’d still be somewhere in there. I know you won’t do anything to hurt me. Or at least I hope you wouldn’t.”

“No, I wouldn’t. I could never hurt my little Pine Tree.”

“Then there you go. I’d let you stay. You’re family at this point. We might have a really weird, fucked up family, but you’re part of it now.”

Bill chuckled, “It’s perfect. Just a perfect little family. But what happens if Mabel and Blondie end up getting married and having kids? Do you think they’d wanna stick around the shack?”

“Pacifica would probably talk her into moving to California if that happened. Not to mention Mabel wouldn’t want a demon around her kids. It would just be the two of us. We could adopt a little puppy and name him Blue.”

“What, like start our own new little family when they leave?”

“Exactly! We’d have the shack all to ourselves. You wouldn’t have to deal with Waddles ever again. You could get all the weird things you’ve ever wanted from the oddity shop. We could do whatever we wanted.”

Bill’s beaming smile dropped, “What about when you leave? What am I supposed to do when you end up dying?”

“Keep doing what you’ve been doing all these years. Keep venturing around the world until you find someone else that’s interesting. I’m just one human. A blink in your lifetime. You’d forget about me.”

His hands moved to hold Dipper’s, “I couldn’t just forget about you. I know I haven’t been here too long but you mean a lot to me. This might be a small time compared to how long I’ll continue to live, but it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had and will have.” he looked over his shoulder to see Dipper looking up at him, “My life wouldn’t be the same without you in it. You’re the first human I’ve ever cared about.”

Dipper pressed his lips against Bill’s back, “How about we ignore the fact that I’ll die one day until that time comes closer. You’ve still got a long time with me before I die, so enjoy it while you can.”

Bill nodded, his attention turning to the sky, “I’d always have the stars to remind me of you.” he pointed up at a consolation.

Dipper chuckled, “Yeah, I guess the little Dipper would be a good way to remember me by. We should head back before Mabel starts to worry.”

They walked back to the shack in a quiet bliss. Bill’s arm was draped over Dipper’s shoulder, forcing the boy to stay close beside him. When they emerged from the trees, Mabel came running towards them with a smile, “It’s about time you two got home! We saved a couple burgers for you. Bro bro, I think we’re gonna be set for the next 6 years.”

“I told you not to go crazy with buying them.” he turned his attention to the blonde that sat on the steps of the porch, “Did you two burn anything down while we were gone?”

Pacifica shook her head as she fell back against the steps, “We burned out my energy.”

Mabel giggled, “Don’t be such a grandma! Get up! We’re almost done for the night.”

Blue perked up from his spot beside her “I can help light a few more.”

Mabel went running back to the box. They waited patiently for Dipper and Bill to be safely on the porch before sending off their last fireworks. Blue and Mabel stayed outside cleaning up the debris they created while Bill went out back to clean the grill. Pacifica and Dipper laid on the couch watching a strange movie, “So,” Pacifica nudged her foot into Dipper’s side, “Did anything interesting happen while you two were out there?”

“We talked, and now I’m even more confused.”

“I’m sure he’ll talk to you about it soon.”

Dipper gave her a small smile. They laid there waiting for the others to walk into the house. Mabel bounced into the room with Blue following behind her, “Blue said we could sleep up in the attic tonight. He’ll take the cot.” Mabel grabbed the blonde’s hand to pull her up the stairs.

Blue laid down on one of the cots and looked at Dipper, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dipper let out a yawn as the backdoor opened and closed.

Bill walked into the living room as Dipper closed his mouth, “Head upstairs and get some sleep kid. I’ll come up when I finish the dishes.”

Dipper stood up to hold the demon in his arms, “Just do them tomorrow.” he buried his face into Bill’s chest.

“Your sister would skin my ass if I didn’t do them now. I’ll be up in a bit. Je t’aime.”

Dipper got onto his tiptoes to lightly kiss Bill’s cheek, “Je t’aime.”

Blue watched Bill’s expression darken as the boy let him go to walk up the stairs. The golden eye flicked to him, “You have your troubles and I have mine. Night Blue.”

_A cooling breeze kissed his face. His toes dug into the warming sand. His eyes trailed to the water. His sister stood in the ocean, splashing water at another girl. Her hair was lighter than the twins. She held a beaming smile towards Mabel. They were laughing with tears in their eyes. Waddles came running towards them, knocking giant waves at them as he passed. Dipper couldn’t help but smile a little. He laid back on the sand. The blazing sun hitting against his pale skin. The soft laughter was soon replaced with ear piercing screams._

_Dipper sat up quickly to see bright red against the colorless sand. His eyes followed the trail slowly. Mabel laid on the shore, water hitting against her unmoving body. Red began to flow into the ocean. The blood spilling from her throat. Her face was turned towards Dipper, lifeless eyes looked blankly at his. More screams. The girl was running towards Mabel, something black chased after her. It tackled her to the ground, digging its claws into her thighs as its beak tore into her stomach. The creature’s red beating eyes snapped to look at Dipper. Fear rose through his body as it came sprinting towards him._

The screams. The old screams that once crawled through the old shack returned. Dipper’s legs kicked away at his blanket as Mabel began calling his name, trying to bring him back to their dimension. His eyes opened to see her. Worry on her face. He sat up, eyes still on her as she motioned for him to breathe. His chest followed after hers. Pacifica sat beside him, rubbing his back softly as she whispered soft words to him. Once Dipper had calmed down, Mabel shot up to her feet and headed towards the stairs.

Dipper sat in his bed as he heard a loud smack downstairs followed by glass breaking. Dipper and Pacifica slowly made their way into the kitchen. Blue stood in the doorway while Bill stood by the sink with a plate shattered beside his feet. One hand rubbed at his jaw, his usual golden eye was pitch black as it glared at Mabel. She stood before the demon. Hands on her hips as she yelled, “I thought we had a deal! You weren’t supposed to cause anymore nightmares to my brother!”

Bill’s eye flicked back to gold, “Nightmare? What are you talking about?”

“Dipper! He just woke up screaming from a nightmare! You’re the only reason he would ever have one.”

“Is that what that feeling was? Listen Star, I didn’t do shit to him. I’ve been down here cleaning since he fell asleep. I can’t cause any nightmares unless I’m in the Mindscape with him. I can’t go into the Mindscape unless I’m sleeping too. So tell me, how could I have done that if I’ve been here?” his eye moved to Dipper, “The fuck managed to get into your head kid?” he pushed past the girl to make his way to the boy.

Bill’s hands cupped Dipper’s face as his eye looked over him. Tears began flooding Dipper’s eyes. His arms instinctively wrapped around Bill’s waist, his face pressing into the demon’s chest, “I don’t know what it was. I couldn’t tell.”

Bill tensed when the brunet pulled him close. His body relaxed to hold him as he spoke, “You have to tell me what you saw in order for me to help. Try describing it.” he rubbed the boy’s back.

Mabel was still glaring at Bill, “Dip, are you sure it wasn’t Bill?”

Pacifica stood beside her as she placed a hand on her shoulder, “Calm down love. There’s no need to be so angry with him.”

Dipper shook his head, his arms wrapping tighter around the body he hugged, “Bill always has a yellow glow around him no matter what form he’s in. This thing didn’t. It was just pure black. Big wings. Red eyes. Kinda like a bird but gigantic.”

Bill’s hand stopped moving. His body tensed up as it grew colder. Mabel noticed the sudden change, “You’ve got two seconds to explain Cipher.”

Bill swallowed hard, licking his now dry lips, “I guess Ford’s seal wasn’t as good as he though. I’m not exactly the only one that can enter a human's mind, especially Dipper’s. There’s another demon, Malphas, he can manipulate people’s memory or steal it away. The only way into a human’s mind is through the Mindscape, and Ford’s seal protects Dipper from any demon having access to that. Thing is, Malphas doesn’t really enter the mind through the Mindscape. He gains access through one of the three trees. He’s got a way into your head that avoids the seal. He must’ve played around with your old memories of me to trigger that nightmare.”

“Okay I get that every demon out there is chasing after you, but why is it trying to go after Dipper now? He’s got nothing to do with this.”

“I don’t really know. Demons target people with no explanation sometimes.”

“Well until you can figure it out, you’re gonna spend time cleaning every inch of this shack without using your powers. You can start now and you’re not allowed to stop until you can answer my question.”

“But-”

Mabel held up a finger, “Do not but me. Be grateful I’m not trying to kick you out.”

“That wasn’t my point. I’m the only one that can keep Malphas or any other demon out of Dipper’s mind. If I don’t go into the Mindscape with him then the old memories and nightmares come back. I can’t just let him go to sleep without me Star.”

Mabel opened her mouth to argue but was interrupted by Dipper’s strange behavior. The boy squirmed out of Bill’s grip suddenly. He didn’t speak as he walked out of the kitchen leaving them all speechless. They listened quietly as the front door opened and closed. The brunette grabbed Bill’s collar and dragged him with her. They stood on the porch looking for Dipper. He was nowhere to be seen. Mabel turned to the blond with angry eyes, “Find out where the fuck he went. Or else I _will_ kick you out of this shack!”

Bill shrunk down, “Uhm, I can’t really do that. Since I haven’t gone to bed yet, I haven’t gotten the chance to recharge. I’m too weak to find him with every magical aura out there blocking his.”

“Then you can stay out here until my brother returns. And I swear if he turns up dead, you’re next!” she slammed the door behind her, making sure to lock it.

Bill let out an exaggerated sigh before falling to sit on the steps. He rested his chin on his palm as his eye searched through the trees. Hours seemed to pass before the sun finally made its way over the trees. Bill’s eye threatened to close with every second that passed. His head constantly falling from his hands. A loud slam sounded behind him, snapping him awake. Pacifica sat beside him with two cups of coffee. She handed one to him before speaking, “Has he shown up?”

“Sadly no. I can’t even sense his aura.”

“What happens to you if he dies?”

“I go insane. I’d kill everything that got near me. It’s never a good thing when a demon falls in love with a human.”

“Should we go look for him?”

“What if he comes back and we’re out looking for him? Dipper can take care of himself, he knows the forest like the back of his hand. I’m sure he’s just trying to clear his head.”

Pacificas slowly nodded, “Mabel’s still fuming over it. She won’t believe that it wasn’t you making the nightmare.”

Bill shrugged, “I don’t need her to believe me. I just need that dumb kid to make it back safely.”

They sat silently finishing off their coffee. He handed the empty mug back to Pacifica before she went back inside. Bill rested his chin on his knees. A soft grunt came beside him. He turned his head to see the pig sitting next to him. His blank eyes staring at the dirt around them. Bill chuckled to himself, “Think you could sniff him out?”

Waddles turned to look at him before trotting down the steps. Bill cocked a brow yet followed the pig into the woods. They walked for what seemed like forever before Bill got a faint feeling of Dipper’s aura. Bill felt his pace speed up along with the pig, still leading the way through the trees. He pushed a bush out of his way to see Dipper lying on the ground. Dipper’s clothes were covered in dust. Faint scratches were marked up his arms. Bill fell to the ground and gathered the boy into his arms, “Damn it Pine Tree, why are you like this?” he picked Dipper up and started walking back to the shack.

Once again, Waddles was the one to lead him. As they got closer to the shack, he could hear Mabel and Pacifica’s voices calling for them. Bill emerged from the trees as she ran towards them. One hand cupped her brother’s cheek while the other one pushed his hair from his face. Worried eyes looked up at the demon, “What happened? Is he okay?”

“I have no idea. We just have to wait until he wakes up.”

Mabel held the door open for them. Bill laid Dipper down on the couch and sat on the floor beside him. He pressed a hand against Dipper’s forehead, “He’s burning up. Get a cold towel.”

Mabel nodded, disappearing from the room. Bill rolled Dipper over to pull down the collar of his shirt. Symbols peeked past the fabric. Bill cursed under his breath, rolling him back. Mabel walked back into the room moments later to place the towel on Dipper’s forehead, sitting beside Bill. Pacifica stood back watching the poor boy. Mabel leaned against Bill, “Will he be okay?”

“I uhh, yeah, he’ll be fine.”

“What are you hiding from me?”

“Blondie, do you think you could explain this to her. She’d get less mad if it came from you.”

Mabel’s attention turned to the girl standing behind her. Pacifica let out a sigh, “Bill and Dipper are soulmates.”

Mabel twisted her body back to stare at the demon beside her, "Stop. No. Are you fucking serious?" Bill slowly nodded, "Then how could you torment him like that?!" Mabel punched him in the arm.

"Fuck Star! I didn't even know about it until he turned 18!"

Mabel fell back onto the floor with a groan, "I don't get it. Someone explain please."

Blue moved to sit beside her, "It's a very rare thing Mabel. Every so often, a demon will have a connection with a human. They could have known each other prior to the sigil appearing, or they might have never met before. When the human turns of age, which is 18, the demon gets a sigil on its body."

"But demons don't have actual bodies?"

"Exactly. We're forced into a human body and the sigil keeps us in it. Unless you're a very powerful demon like us," Blue rolled up his sleeves to reveal the same symbols that Bill had covering his arms, "We need something extra to keep us in, so the sigil creates the runes to completely bind us in. When the sigil appears, the demon instantly knows the aura of their human, making it easy to find them and win their love. The sigil appears on the human once they've realized that they love the demon back."

Bill reached over to grab one of Dipper's hands, "But the kid's so confused about his feelings that it forced the sigil to prematurely appear."

Mabel looked at Bill, then down at her brother, "Is it going to kill him?"

"No, I can promise that much. He's just gonna go through a really terrible fever while his body adjusts."

"So is he the reason every demon is chasing after you?"

Bill nodded, "It's always a weaker demon that has a human soulmate. They don't care about those ones, there's nothing to take from them, no dimension to win. But I'm the Mindscape demon, the biggest and the baddest. They're hunting me down to take my place. Whoever kills me first becomes the Alpha in my dimension. A human form greatly weakens a demon. They've found their rare chance to take over and they're not gonna stop until they get it."

"What happens to Dipper if you die?"

"Nothing too damaging. The connection gets broken the moment one of them dies. For him, he'd only deal with a heartbreak for the rest of his life. He'd never love anyone else. But then again, that would still be the case even if I didn't come back."

"So the demon in his nightmare, what was that about? Was it trying to get to you through him?"

"In a way yes. Malphas isn't the Alpha in his dimension. Technically speaking his dimension only exists because I do. If he kills me then he takes over the Mindscape. He's already got the power to fuck with memories, just imagine what that sick fuck would do if he got his hands on complete control over the human mind. Anyways, by playing around with memories of me, it can trigger a nightmare like one that used to produce. He's trying to bring back the memories that I got rid of which would eventually make Dipper hate me. If a human rejects the demon, they go berserk. It's good for other demons, but bad for any human nearby."

"Then why come back here? You could have stayed on the run. You're risking everything, your entire life, your powers, your dimension, and for what? A human?"

Bill didn't respond, his gaze was fixed on Dipper's pained face. Mabel turned to Blue, "It's a personal matter Mabel. The thing is, a demon and human soulmate is a very delicate thing, yet it's also the strongest thing out there. The sigil practically possess the demon. It makes you meet that person no matter what. You can do what Bill did, try to fight it for as long as you can while running from the demons. Though the sigil will eventually win and you'll meet your soulmate. It makes you ready to risk everything for them."

"But there had to of been something Bill could've done to avoid this."

"There was nothing he could do. There isn't anything he can do now. If Bill tried to leave and never come back, he'd go feral. At this point it's all up to Dipper now. He's either going to return the feeling or reject him."

"Can't we just explain this to him to make it easier on him?"

Bill snapped his head to her, "And then what Star? Let it just kill him?! Do you really want your brother to die so badly?"

"What?"

Blue put a hand on her shoulder to earn her attention back, "Excuse him, this isn't going to be easy for him. If we tried to tell Dipper everything about Bill being his soulmate, it would kill him. The human mind isn't strong enough to handle it. When you hear the word 'soulmate' your mind instantly goes to thinking that you just automatically love that person. For this instance, that would result in death. It would be instant confusion, too much for you to handle. Which is why Bill has been doing this over time with the hints and flirting. It's a way of easing Dipper's mind into it giving the mind more time to process everything."

Mabel nodded slowly as she turned back to Bill, "How do you think he'll feel?"

"I've got no clue. He thinks he loves me, but he's still unsure."

"Is that dangerous?"

"Very. When the human realizes they love the demon, the mind can easily comprehend it so it makes sense to them. But he's in the in between. His mind is trying to make him understand it. But he doesn't truly love me back yet so it's tearing his mind apart."

Mabel looked back at her brother, "Dip, please love him back."

Bill chuckled, “I wish the same thing kid.”

They spent a couple hours waiting around for Dipper to wake up before Pacifica and Mabel took Blue to do some grocery shopping. Bill moved to lay beneath Dipper with his arms limply over the brunet’s stomach. Bill rested his head on top of Dipper’s, “I know you can’t hear me Pine Tree, but I hope you know that I love you. I really do. And let’s just say that you broke my heart last night when you said it back to me,” he chuckled, “You didn’t even realize you said it.”

**_Dipper glanced around the room. He was back in the strange hall. This time, the creature wasn't there immediately. It took him ages to finally show up on the branches, "You have yet to solve your problem child."_ **

**_"I know my problem, I'm fully aware of it. I just need a little bit of help. Something like a sign. Just something. Anything! Please, I'm begging you. Just give me a hint how to solve this."_ **

**_The bird blinked at him, "Je t'aime."_ **

**_Dipper tilted his head, "Bill says that a lot, what does it mean?"_ **

**_"I can not tell you. It is your job to take that piece of information and figure it out. Your demon speaks many languages, good luck child." the creature before him dissolved into black smoke._ **

Dipper's eyes shot open. He looked up to see Bill’s head turned towards the tv, “What happened?”

Bill looked down at him with a sad smile. He brought the boy into a tight hug, “Oh Pine Tree! We thought you would die if you didn’t wake up soon!”

Dipper’s eyes moved around the room to see that they were alone, “You didn’t answer my question. What happened?”

“I’m not even sure. One moment you’re freaking out over a nightmare then the next thing I know you’re lost in the forest. Do you remember anything?”

“The bird, he told me something in a different language and said you’d know what it meant. You say it often. You said it last night before I went to sleep. What does it mean Bill?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only spoke in English last night.”

“You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

Bill swallowed hard, panic rising in his body. Mabel walked into the house before Bill could respond, “We’re back! I think we got everything we needed,” she walked into the living room, “Oh thank god you’re awake!” she dashed to give him a hug.

Dipper pat her back, “You guys are acting like I was dying. I was just taking a nap.”

Pacifica peaked her head into the room, “Dipper you’ve been sleeping, as far as we know, for 14 hours now. You probably passed out in that forest for hours. It’s four in the afternoon for crying out loud!”

He waved a hand at her, “It was a nap.”

“How are you feeling?” Mabel asked.

“Pretty normal. What groceries did you get?” Dipper moved off of Bill to follow the blonde into the kitchen.

Mabel turned her attention to Bill, “What happens if he finds the sigil on his back?”

“I’ll just tell him that Ford must have put another seal on him before dying and it must’ve taken a while to form.”

“I don’t think he’d buy that.”

“I wouldn’t know what else to say! Not like I could just flat out tell him.” Bill pushed past her to go to the kitchen.

Mabel was the last to walk in. Blue, as usual, sat at the dining table with Waddles by his feet. Pacifica stood beside Dipper preparing Dinner. Bill held onto Dipper, refusing to sit down every time they told him to. Mabel sat beside Blue, she nudged her shoulder against his, “Maybe we should find you someone else.”

Blue simply shook his head before slowly undoing the wrap on his hand. Mabel looked down at the symbols etched into his skin, her eyes slowly looking back up, “You mean?”

“Yeah, me and him. It applies in every universe.”

“Why keep it covered?”

Blue’s hand stopped moving, the fabric fell from his fingers, “It makes him think that he controls me, so by hiding it he doesn’t always remember.”

Blue stuffed his hands under the table when Dipper sat across from them, Bill was still holding tightly onto him, “What’s gotten into you?”

“You scared the shit out of me! I thought you died. Excuse me for being a little clingy.”

After dinner, Mabel stood outside waving as Pacifica’s car left the property. Bill and Dipper stood in the kitchen washing the dishes while Blue sat in the living room, he held his bandaged hand to his chest keeping his eyes locked on the ground. Mabel stood in the doorway, “You can sleep in my bed tonight. We’ll figure out the sleeping situation tomorrow.”

He looked up at her with a tired expression, a sharp pain was in his chest, “No, it’s alright. I’m gonna be honest, Bill and Dipper are starting to bum me out. I’d rather not have to sleep in the same room as them.”

She walked to sit beside him, “You really miss him, don’t you?”

Blue looked back down at his hand, “Of course I do. He might not treat me right but he’s my soulmate. He means everything to me. He’s the only thing I’ll ever truly love.”

“We could try finding the mirror if you really want to go back.”

“No, that’s alright. If I went home now then the pain would only get worse. Him coming to find me I guess would make me feel like he still cares. Like he still loves me deep down inside and I’m not just some toy to him.”

Mabel placed a hand against his back. She never thought she could feel sorry for a demon. But then again, she never thought she’d be living with them. Dipper and Bill stood by the doorway moments later, “We’re gonna head to bed, who’s in the attic tonight?”

Mabel stole a glance at the blue demon before smiling softly, “I think we’ll both sleep down here tonight. You guys can have the attic to yourselves tonight.”

Bill’s face lit up. He nudged an elbow into the brunet’s side, “We’re gonna have some fun tonight Sapling! You’ve got no reason to say no to me.”

Dipper’s face began to heat up, “Bill!” he smacked the demon’s arm, “You can’t just say that kind of shit in front of Mabel!”

The girl began laughing, “You’re finally fucking the demon? It’s about time.”

Dipper’s redness only deepened, “I’m gonna kill the both of you tonight.” he grabbed Bill’s wrist to drag him up the stairs.

The demon snickered as he crawled into the bed, “Learn to take a joke kid. Unless you really do wanna have some fun.”

Dipper threw his pants at the grinning demon, “Fuck off. I’m sleeping in Mabel’s bed tonight.”

The smile on Bill’s face was wiped away, “Wait, what? No, come here! Dipper! I’m sorry.”

Dipper stood in front of the other bed with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes glaring at the demon, “You can sleep alone tonight.”

“I swear to god Dipper, if you don’t get into this bed I’ll make your sister think we actually are fucking.”

Dipper’s eyes narrowed, “And how the fuck do you think you’re gonna do that?”

“I don’t think you wanna find out.”

Dipper raised a brow, sitting down on Mabel’s bed. Bill’s frown only deepened, “Alright kid, you’re making me do this.” Bill opened his mouth to suck in a large breath.

Before he could make a noise, Dipper was standing in front of him with a hand clamped over his mouth, “Fine you win. Just please don’t do what I think you’re about to do.”

Bill merely blinked before his tongue slipped out of his mouth to run over Dipper’s palm. The boy immediately removed his hand to wipe it against Bill’s cheek, “You’re disgusting.”

Bill’s hand moved to rest against Dipper’s bare thighs. He pulled Dipper closer to stand in between his legs, “You wouldn’t find it disgusting if I had licked something else.”

Dipper reached behind Bill to shove a pillow into his face. Bill laughed as he let go of Dipper and instead held onto the pillow. Dipper laid over Bill’s lap and snuggled his face against his pillow, “You’re really gross Bill.”

Bill tossed the pillow behind him before letting one hand rest on Dipper’s upper thigh while the other rubbed his back, “Yeah I know, but you gotta admit that I’m funny.”

“The only thing your good at is back rubs. Stop talking.”

Bill pat Dipper’s back before sliding his legs out and laying down beside him. Dipper kept his eyes focused on Bill’s lips as the demon talked, “Sometimes you’re the meanest person I’ve ever met, and trust me, I’ve met the worst people imaginable.”

Dipper’s hand was suddenly resting against Bill’s cheek, his thumb running over Bill’s lips lightly, “You need to learn when to shut up.”

Dipper giggled softly. His hand receded back against his body as he moved to snuggle against Bill. The demon’s arms wrapped around him, “You’re gonna be the death of me. Bonne nuit mon chéri. Je t'aime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Read before you comment with questions please**
> 
> I'm so sorry that this chapter turned out to be so long! I just got so caught up that I didn't wanna break it into two separate ones.  
> I wanted to make this chapter cheesy and cute but instead it turned into this. But anyways, before anyone starts to ask, yes Malphas is trying to tear Dipper and Bill apart but he’s also a demon that is bound to rules. I took the idea of Malphas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malphas) and turned him into something that I thought would fit the story. So, with that being said, in this story Malphas is still a demon but he is not a prince of Hell. He’s a demon of the Mind/Memory/Thoughts. He’s a demon that works with people in person (from being summoned) or through the tree in the Mindscape. As explained, if another demon kills Bill then they get the title of ‘dream demon’ and take his powers. Malphas just so happens to be one of those demons that wants that power so he’s trying to tear them apart for his own benefit. Yet, as a demon, he still has to help Dipper. It sucks on his part but I really wasn’t thinking when I put him in for the nightmare, but hey, I like it so it stayed. Also I know I said in the beginning that Bill was the only one that could get into Dipper’s Mindscape because of the seal, but with Malphas’ position(?) he is also an exception of the seal since his powers lie only in the tree. If you want more info then please message me on Tumblr: TazzKy
> 
> Translations:  
> "Bonne nuit mon chéri. Je t'aime.” = Goodnight my darling. I love you.


	17. Promise You'll Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.

Mabel began giggling beside Dipper's ear as she poked his cheek. Dipper opened his eyes to give her a deadly look, "What?"

“You need to wake up. It’s the last day for the fair, Bill and Blue wanna go since you wouldn’t let them last time.”

“Just take them then.”

Bill walked into the room to sit beside the sleeping body, “You have to come with us kid.”

Dipper swung his foot to hit Bill in the back, “Fuck off.”

Mabel and Bill exchanged looks before Mabel lifted Dipper up. Bill grabbed the boy’s face and began placing kisses everywhere. Dipper began laughing, “Alright, fine. I’ll get up.”

Mabel dropped his arms before skipping out of the room. Bill dug through Dipper’s drawers as the brunet slowly got out of the bed. Dipper let out a long yawn as he made his way to stand behind the demon. His arms tightly wrapped around his waist while his body leaned against the taller one. He rubbed his cheek against Bill’s back, “Do we have to go?”

“You dragged me home last time without letting me have a say. So yes, we have to go. Why are you so against it?”

“I don’t know, just reasons.”

Bill smirked as he pulled a shirt from the drawer, “Your mind might be cluttered but I can still spot the jealousy. Fess up kid.”

“You’re a dick. It’s just that, I don’t know. I guess I’m worried that you might meet someone while we’re there and you’ll want to spend time with them and I’ll be lonely. Like have you seen yourself? I’m pretty sure every girl that’s seen you wants to bang you. Well, except Mabel and Pacifica, but they don’t count.”

Bill chuckled, “So you’re afraid of losing me to someone.” he turned to face Dipper, “You don’t have to worry about anything. First of all, no human could replace you. Second, there’s a such thing as a demon being gay. Now, drop the jealousy and get ready.” he leaned down to lightly kiss the top of Dipper’s head.

“I’ll drop the jealousy when you promise not to leave me.”

“Dipper Pines, I promise I’ll never leave you for another human. You’ll always be my one and only.”

“Thank you. Now out with you! I need to change.”

Bill rolled his eye before leaving the room. He made his way down into the kitchen to plop into a chair beside the female twin. Her eyes remained on the magazine before her as she spoke, “Is he up?”

“Yeah, he’s getting dressed. Where’s Blue?”

“I think he took Waddles out back.”

Bill glanced out the window to see the blue demon standing still. The pig sat beside his feet, looking up at something. Curiosity urged his body to move. When he opened the back door, he found Gideon interrogating the smaller demon. He let the door slam behind him as he approached them, “And just what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Bill crossed his arms over his chest.

The pale man looked up, a faint smile on his smug face, “Why, I was just asking your dear brother a few questions. Harmless ones. You don’t have to be here so just head on back inside that little shack.”

“You bet your ass I have to be here. Forget about the mirror. None of us know where it is so just leave us alone about it.”

“I didn’t come to ask about its location. I found it. I was just curious about how it works, and about his dear Pines.”

Blue shifted his feet as he spoke, “I don’t know how it works. I kinda just fell through it one day. I really don’t think you should try going through it. My twins would not like you one bit.”

“Everyone loves me.”

“They don’t take kindly to strangers, especially those who mess with their demon.”

Gideon’s hand reached up to fix his tie, “Is that a threat?”

Their attention turned to the door as it slammed shut. Dipper stood beside Bill, mirroring his pose, “What are you doing here Gideon?”

He let out a nervous laugh, “I see everyone in this house has something against me. I was merely asking your kind demons some simple questions. Nothing too serious.”

“Questions are over. Get off my property. Now.”

Mabel was the next to exit the shack, “Gideon! What gives you the right to come to our house and bother us? Why can’t you just take no for an answer and move on?!”

The small man put his hands up in defense, “My apologizes. I guess I’ll be on my way then. I’ll see you at the fair then.” he grinned at them before walking away.

Dipper turned around to look at Mabel, “We’re not going to the fair anymore.”

Bill and Blue both threw their hands up in the air with loud groans, “Fuck yeah we’re going! Pine Tree, stop trying to get out of this.”

Bill’s hand clamped down on Dipper’s wrist to drag him along with the rest of the group as they walked. Bill held onto Dipper’s hand tightly as they made their way to the fair. Most people in the town had already gone, but it was tradition for the entire town to attend the final day of the fair. Mabel and Blue disappeared into the large crowd leaving Dipper and Bill alone. The demon dragged the boy onto almost every ride. They played all the rigged games only to lose to all of them. Luck was finally on their side as they played their last game. Bill managed to win Dipper a large teddy bear. The brunet squished his face against the soft fur as he looked up at Bill, “Maybe I can use this to replace you when you leave.”

Bill looked down at him in confusion, “Who said I was leaving? You made me promise not to. I’m staying until you’re the one leaving. I’ll always be by your side kid.” Bill placed his arm around Dipper’s shoulder, “You’ll always be my little Pine Tree.”

Dipper nuzzled against the blond’s side, “And you’ll always be my little demon. Bill, I think I need to talk to you about something,”

Bill gasped when he noticed the ferris wheel. During the day, it had looked plain and boring so he had been putting it off for when the night had begun. With the sun setting deeply behind the trees, the lights throughout the fair had been turned on. Bright colors glowed everywhere, “It’ll have to wait, for now, we’re gonna ride the ferris wheel!”

Dipper rolled his eyes as he followed behind the man. Dipper sat between Bill and the oversized bear. Bill still kept his arm over Dipper’s shoulder, “You know what Sapling, I think I’m enjoying being a human.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m happy to have you in my life. You’ve made things so much better.”

“Well I did cause a lot of pain to you as a kid. It’s about time I made up for it all. But really kid, you kinda ignored this the last time I asked. What am I supposed to do when you die?”

Dipper moved closer to him, “I already told you, keep going on with your life. In a few centuries, you’ll forget about me. I’ll just be a distant memory in the back of your head. We might be having fun now, but trust me Bill, you’ll forget this. It won’t matter if you’re with me for the rest of my life, you won’t be able to remember this. I’m sorry I won’t be able to make you happy for the rest of your life.”

“Are you kidding me? There’s no way I’d ever forget about you. Everything I’ve ever felt with you are things I’ve never experienced before. I actually feel like I’m living for once rather than just existing. I wish you could just live with me forever.”

Dipper chuckled, “We’d end up killing each other. You’ll get over this. In a few years, you’ll start getting tired of me. You’ll get bored. You’ll want something else. A better and newer adventure. You’ll want that spark back, but I won’t be able to give you that anymore. You’re having fun now, but with time, you’ll get annoyed. It’s just how people start to feel after being with someone for a long time. You’ll want to leave. And I wouldn’t stop you. They always leave.”

Bill’s lips pressed against Dipper’s forehead, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I know me better than you do. I’ll never get tired of you. I’ll always want you around and I’ll always care about you. I’d never want to lose my Sapling.”

“You’re gross. But yeah, I don’t ever wanna lose you either.” his brown eyes looked at the people below them, his eyes resting on his sister, “Thank god Mabel didn’t hear this conversation. She’d start teasing me about it for the rest of her life.”

Mabel and Blue stood by the exit waiting for them. Both held giant sticks of cotton candy. Occasionally they would steal a bite from the other person’s. Mabel smiled brightly at them as the duo approached, “You guys! This was amazing!” her eyes fell on the bear, “You actually beat one of these games?!”

Dipper held it up proudly, “Isn’t he cute? Bill won him for me.”

Bill pulled him closer to him, “You’re the cute one Dipper.”

Mabel and Blue both made small gagging noises. They both led the way home, talking about all the fun they would have next year, neither thinking that Blue might be take from them. Tonight, all worries were gone. Stress would be replaced with nothing but happiness. Mabel didn’t even bother working on dinner. She turned in for the night, falling fast asleep on one of the cots. Blue and Bill sat in the kitchen talking while Dipper went to the attic. “Has he figured it out yet?”

“God Blue, I fucking wish he would. I mean, I’m dropping so many hints! I just want him to realize that I’m what he wants. How did you manage to do this with your Dipper?”

“Well first of all, I never traumatized him like you did. And second, it was more like love at first sight for him. He wanted me the moment he saw me.”

“If only I have known this would happen. Just kill me already, I’m begging you.”

“Just give it some more time. He’s close, I can feel it.”

Bill slowly nodded before leaving the room. Dipper stood by the window sill, positioning the bear to stay up. Bill crawled out of his clothes before laying down on the bed. Dipper remained by the window, his eyes focused on the trees. Bill titled his head back, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

Dipper slowly looked at him, “I’m not too sure if it’s even a good idea. You’re a demon, it’s not in your nature to feel real emotions.”

“Pine Tree, come here,” Dipper hesitated before crawling in beside him, “I might be a demon but I at least understand human emotions. Like I said, this body forces me to be more human. I can actually feel the same emotions you do. Now talk to me.”

Dipper slowly looked up at him, his arms latching around the demon, “Do you think you could ever feel love?” Bill nodded, “Do you think you could ever love me?”

Bill bit his lip, “Je t’aime déjà.”

“I wish you’d just speak English all the time. It’s like you’re trying to make me solve a riddle or something. Wait, je t’aime? That’s what the demon told me. What does it mean?”

“I can’t tell you. As much as I’d love to, I can’t. Now drop this silly conversation and sleep.”

 **The lake. The Siren. Dipper stood at the edge of the water staring down into the glassy surface. It was his Mindscape, he knew that, but everything inside of him wished that the stupid creature would show up to finish the job. He dipped the tip of his shoe into the water. If you die in the Mindscape, you die in real life. Imagine up a Siren to come kill you, you wouldn't wake up. But Bill was in Dipper's Mindscape with him, he'd notice the sudden change. He'd be able to tell if he was about to die. Bill wouldn't let the dumb kid die. He'd do anything to save him. He'd give up his own life if it meant that Dipper would live. He knew that all too well. He loves that. Yet, at the same time, he hates it. A small triangle floated to him. Dipper turned around to face the glowing object, "Well since I can't say this to the real Bill,** **I might as well say it to a fake one. I think I love you. But you're a demon, you don't have feelings. You don't truly care about me or anything that we've been through. You're just sticking around and being nice to me because of the deals we've made. I'm making myself believe that you could possibly love me back."**

**The demon didn't move. He didn't speak. The large yellow eye just stared down at him. Dipper let out a painful laugh, "Course you wouldn't say anything. I couldn't imagine how Bill would respond to that." he held his hand out, "Come with me to the tree. Let's see if we can get some more answers tonight."**

**The demon looked down at his hand, then back into the brown eyes. He slowly placed his small black hand into Dipper's before floating beside him as he walked. Dipper took this as a chance to get out everything he'd been feeling. If he couldn't say it to the real thing, then maybe saying it to the fake one would help, "You know, I never expected you to come back. I always thought that you were dead. That Ford died for a good reason. I wanted you to be dead. But at the same time, there was a voice in the back of my head saying that I missed you. That summer was a goddamn nightmare for all of us, but I still found it to be a little fun. You're a mystery that I wanted to solve. And when you came back, I thought I was still dreaming. I couldn't believe that you managed to survive. Let alone that you'd come back to Gravity Falls looking for me. I know I said that I hated you, and I'm sorry for acting so mean to you when you first came back. I guess I was just confused about things. I wasn't sure if I was excited to see you, or if I was just terrified. I never thought we'd get this close. I never thought you'd make me feel this way. But I guess at this point nothing surprises me." Dipper came to a stop in front of the twisted tree, "It's doubled in size since I last saw it."**

**Dipper pressed his hand against a thin branch. The bird stood before him, "What do you need now child? I have told you all that I can."**

**"I just want to run things by you to make sure I'm understanding this. Bill comes back to Gravity Falls to find me. He instantly starts flirting with me and only me. Then he starts saying this same thing over and over again in a different language that he knows I don't know. You give me a hint that It's important for solving my problem. He talks a lot about how he cares about me and how he doesn't want to lose me. Yet, when I tried to ask him if he loved me, he just brushed it off. It's like when I try to ask about him being with someone, he just changes the subject. So tell me, why is that?"**

**"Perhaps you should ask him yourself. I am not hi, I do not have all the answers that you seek. But I can offer you a little piece of advice. Do not push him away."**

**Dipper tilted his head, "Now why would I ever do that?"**

**"I am Malphas. I know all of your thoughts, your memories, and your desires. You are confused. You are scared of getting hurt by him. Your thoughts are starting to tell you that it is best you let him go before things get too bad for you. Fight or flight Dipper, do not choose the easy way out. Do not let that demon go. He needs you just as much as you need him."**

**"When we first spoke, you said that if I say no in the end, I'll lose someone important to me. Say no to what exactly?"**

**Malphas shook his head, "That I can not reveal. That would give away the truth. If you truly desire it, I can offer some help. But it will be the last of it. Your problem is like a puzzle. Yet you are not allowed to see the final picture until you complete it. You are given the pieces by everyone you know. It is your job to take those pieces and put them together. Then, and only then, will you know what the puzzle truly is."**

**"Je t'aime, is that an important piece?"**

**"It's the biggest piece." and with that, Malphas turned to black smoke, leaving Dipper's sight.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> “Je t’aime déjà.” = I already do love you.


	18. I Want The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold and italic texts indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

Bill sat in the kitchen tapping his fingers on the wooden table. His head turned when he heard Dipper's footsteps enter the room, "Morning Pine Tree. They left to hang out with some friends, so it's just the two of us today."

Dipper stood in the doorway. His tired eyes focused on the demon before him, "What does it mean Bill?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Everything! All of this! I just want answers, please."

Bill's body stiffened, "Listen, I can't give you what you're looking for. I want to tell you, believe me, but me keeping it from you is what's keeping you safe. Just please trust me on this."

"Why can't you just tell me the truth for once? Every time I try talking to you about this thing and my problem you just shut me down! I thought you cared about me."

"Pine Tree.." Bill stood from where he sat and made his way to the brunet, "I do care about you. I have my reasons for not telling you and hopefully you'll see them soon. Just solve the puzzle."

"Solve the..? So you know exactly what I'm talking, yet you're refusing to help me. Just forget it Bill. If no one wants to help me, then why am I even trying?" he pushed past the blond to leave the shack and head into the forest.

He searched around for the familiar spot before stumbling into it a couple hours later. The same glistening lake sat before him. He smirked when he saw the Siren's tail rippling around in the water. She emerged from the water, tilting her head, "I never thought I'd see you again. What brings you back?"

"I just came to talk. I need someone to vent to."

"If there's one thing that Siren's love more than having a human to eat, it's juicy drama. Sit and spill. What's on your mind?"

Dipper sat a few feet from the edge, “Everything I guess. Nothing's making sense and no one cares to help me. It's like the people that claim to care so much for my well being are just shutting me out like I'm nothing! Wait, do you think a demon could sense me being all the way out here?”

“If they’re not out in the forest then no. You’re off their radar.”

“Perfect! Do you mind drowning me?”

The Siren’s eyes widened, “In all my years of living no one has ever asked me that question. But if you really want me to then yes, I’d be more than happy to.”

Dipper glanced over his shoulder, looking in the direction of the shack, “They keep telling me that if I don’t solve my problem soon then I’ll die. I don’t even know where to begin with it so what’s the point? Why not die in an interesting way at least?”

The Siren held out her hands. Her webbed fingers wrapped around his warm hands as she slowly helped him into the water. Her tail gripped around his body once he was in, “Are you sure about this?”

“Fuck no he’s not.” both looked up at the foreign voice.

A gun was cocked towards the Siren’s head. Her tail slowly unraveled as her eyes grew, never leaving the silver object. The gun remained trained on her as Bill reached down to help Dipper out of the water. Dipper’s hands reached out to take the gun away but the demon easily pushed him back, “Bill are you fucking serious?! Put that thing down! Where did you even get that?!”

“I’m a demon Dipper! I can fucking make an elephant appear out of nowhere for crying out loud! I can’t believe you were about to let this kill you again!”

Bill watched as the Siren slowly swam away from them. Dipper ripped his arm free of Bill’s grip, “Did you ever stop to think that maybe I want her to kill me?!”

Bill’s head slowly turned to look at him while the gun evaporated into thin air. His eye was wide as he looked at the boy, “When we get home we’re having a fucking talk and I’m telling your sister about this. Go. Now.” his eye turned black as he pushed Dipper forward.

The brunet led the way back to the shack. Bill followed behind him. Neither of them said a word until Dipper was sitting on the couch of the living room with Bill angrily standing over him, “Dipper fucking Pines, you better start talking right now. What would make you wanna die? Tell me. You live in a nice peaceful town. You and your sister have plenty of money. You have loving friends and family. You’ve got everything you could ever ask for!”

 **I don’t have you.** “Why the hell do you even care? You’re just some demon hanging around until your ass is off the hook. You only care because you want us to trust you. You don’t want us throwing you out to die! So how about you drop the fucking act? Stop pretending like you give a shit about us. Stop acting like I mean something to you!”

“You do mean something to me. That’s why I’m always looking after your ass. Say what you want, I care and I mean it. I care so much that I’m willing to die for you. So how about you drop the act and tell me what’s really bothering you?”

“You’re what’s bothering me! Sleep down here tonight, sleep outside if you have to! Just leave me the fuck alone.” Dipper pushed past him to lock himself in his office.

Bill plopped down onto the couch in shock. He stared at the ground with an empty look until Blue and Mabel returned. Mabel bounced over to the blond with a smile, “Hey Bill! Where’s Dip?”

“He locked himself in his office.”

She tilted her head while Blue sat beside him, “What? Did something happen?”

“The kid tried to fucking kill himself today! He left the house after an argument so I followed after him because he likes to make stupid choices. Then he ended up back at the lake and that stupid Siren was just so calm about killing him. I brought him back here to talk to him about it but he just blew up at me!”

The girl nodded, “I see, Blue will stay here with you, and I’ll go talk to Dipper. I’ll get him to calm down. Don’t you worry!” she skipped off to the office.

She knocked a few times against the door, “What do you want?” Dipper’s angry voice came from inside.

Mabel pushed the door open and stood in front of his desk, “Dipper you know I love you right? Mom and dad love you. Grunkle Stan loves you. Pacifica, Grenda, Candy, Wendy, they all love you. Waddles loves you. You promised you wouldn’t leave my side. How could you just be so willing to let that thing kill you? I can’t lose my brother, last time was just too heartbreaking.” tears stung her eyes as one dripped down her cheek.

“Oh, Mabel, no don’t do that. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just..it’s just..Bill, okay. He’s just ugh, I can’t even explain it.”

“What was the argument about?”

“I was trying to ask him to help me with my problem but he just ignored it and wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“You know him. He’d tell you anything, as long as it keeps you safe. If he’s hiding something from you, then he’s got a reason to keep it from you. He’s just trying to look out for you. He cares so much about you, he doesn’t wanna see you get hurt. Just please, you don’t think properly when you get angry. If he upsets you then remember what I always say, two ste-”

“Yeah, I know. Take two steps back from the issue and breathe. Don’t talk when you’re angry because you say things you don’t mean.”

“Exactly, and judging by his expression when we walked in, you said something that hurt him.”

“Hurt him? Are you kidding me? He doesn’t feel anything. There’s nothing to hurt.”

Mabel stomped a foot down, “What did I just say? Two steps back Dipper! You’re speaking with anger. You need to calm down so you can go out there and apologize to him.”

“Why me? He should be the one apologizing!”

“He’s trying to help you. You’re the one that’s being irrational.”

Dipper took in a deep breath as he looked to his right, his eyes resting on the black piano, “Yeah, you’re right. Okay I’m calm. I’ll apologize.”

Mabel lead the way into the living room with a smile. Blue and Bill looked up at them as they entered the room, “Bill, I’m sorry for getting angry with you. I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and listened to what you said. You’re just trying to look out for me and I need to realize that. But I still want you sleeping down here. Just for tonight, please.”

Pain flooded his eye, “Pine Tree..I’m not letting you sleep alone. You won’t fall asleep. You’ll stay up thinking and it’ll only make things worse. You just have to believe and trust in me when I say that I care about you.”

Dipper shook his head, “I do believe you, but I really just can’t tonight. It’ll only be tonight, I’ll be fine.” Dipper left before he could respond.

Het let his body collapse onto the bed. The sun had just begun to set behind the trees, casting a yellow tint over the room. He let out a long sigh as he turned onto his side to stare at the wall. His eyes began to imagine Bill laying beside him with that loving smile on his face. His warming laugh. The way his golden eye lights up any time it lands on the boy. The warmth of his body. The arms that hold him while he sleeps. Tears threatened to fall from Dipper’s eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying to fall asleep and quickly.

**Dipper stared at the twisted tree. It definitely wasn’t that big last night. With the blink of an eye, he stood before Malphas once again, “Time is running out young Pines. In a week's time, your mind will cease to exist. That argument with the demon certainly did not help your case either.”**

**“Please, just tell me what I have to do! I can’t handle this!”**

**“Forgive me child, I cannot say a thing. If I let out too much, you will die. However, I might be able to put some worries at rest for you. If you will believe me that is. The demon truly does care for you. He wants you to be safe and happy, even if it means he has to disappear. He does not wish to see you like this. You are hurting him just as much as he is hurting you. You must begin to realize that he speaks only the truth with you. He does not have it in him to lie to you. You are the only thing he trusts. You are the only one he wants in his life. Now, I will wake you up. You must give a better apology to him. Consider the things I’ve said.”**

Dipper awoke to a soft knocking on the door. Bill stuck his head into the room. Dipper’s brown eyes locked onto a sad gold. Dipper sat up, holding his arms out, “I”m sorry. You can sleep here.”

Relief swept over his face as he went into the boy’s arms. He nuzzled his face into the crook of Dipper’s neck, “I didn’t mean to make you angry Pine Tree. Do you even believe me?”

“I believe that you do care. But right now I want you to prove it. If I talk to you about my problem, are you willing to help me as much as you can?”

“Of course, just promise me that you won’t get mad at me for holding back on some things.”

Dipper nodded, “Can you tell me why you say je t’aime a lot?”

“It means something important, that’s all I can say.”

“Have you ever truly felt something for a human?”

“Yes, but I can’t say who or when.”

“The demon told me that if I say no in the end, I’ll lose someone important. Do you know anything about that?”

“Yes, you’ll lose someone you hold dear to your heart. This person who has you rooted in their heart will be crushed, hurt, devastated. You’ll understand when the time comes.”

“What happened the night I went missing? Tell me as many details as you can.”

“You had a nightmare. It was caused by some other demon. You took off while I was trying to comfort you. None of us really know why you left, but you did. It was like something just possessed you. I stayed up all night waiting for you to come back, but you didn’t. Then the stupid pig managed to sniff you out. It’s weird, a pig shouldn’t have that good of senses. I don’t trust him anymore, the next thing you know he’ll be speaking fluent German and trying to overrun the shack. Anyways, when we found you it just looked like something had attacked you while you were out there. Your aura was so faint, too faint, I thought you would die. I did my best to heal you up before you woke up. I was so scared Dipper. I thought I’d lost you.”

Dipper began stroking a hand through Bill’s hair, “I’m still here, it’s fine. All I remember form that night was a sharp pain in my back. I tried looking in the mirror to see if anything was wrong and I found this weird thing right between my shoulder blades. It’s like a small circle with little symbols inside. Do you know what it is?”

Bill could feel the fear and panic spread throughout his body, “I’m not sure. I can look at it tomorrow and see if I know anything about it.”

“Can you just make my mind go blank tonight? I’m not sure a dream or a night in the Mindscape would help me.”

“If that’s what you want. Je t’aime.”


	19. The Puzzle Was You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes a slightly confusing chapter!
> 
> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.

Dipper slowly made his way into the kitchen. Blue stood beside Mabel to help her cook breakfast. Bill sat at the table with a cup of coffee beside him as he looked over the newspaper. Dipper sat beside him, grabbing the cup, “I need one of you to pump caffeine into my bloodstream.”

“I’m pretty sure that would kill you bro bro.”

“Good. I don’t wanna deal with these problems anymore. You know what. Tomatoes don’t have problems. I’m gonna become a tomato. I’m doing it right now. I’m becoming a tomato.”

Bill reached over to take the cup back from the brunet, his eye never leaving the paper, “I can’t fuck a tomato Pine Tree.”

“But you also can’t fuck me if I die from my mind breaking. Which would you prefer?”

Bill set the paper down to glare at him, “If you don’t shut up, I’ll punch you.”

Dipper stuck out his tongue as he reached for the cup again. Mabel tossed plates of food in front of them. She leaned over the table as she spoke, “I swear, if you ever say something like that in front of Blue again, I’ll kill the both of you.”

The smaller demon chuckled as he sat across from the duo, “It’s alright Mabel. I’m not as innocent as you think I am. My Dipper likes to experiment with things.”

The girl’s jaw hung open, “Dipper, please tell me you’re not like that.”

“Sorry Star, he’s gonna be like that with me.”

She fell into the chair beside Blue, “I hate everyone and everything!”

Bill smirked happily at the girl. As they began their meal, someone knocked on the door. The twins left the room to see Gideon standing outside. Dipper raised a brow at the mans strange behavior, “Mornin’ Pines! I was just wondering if the small demon was still here by any chance.”

“He’s gone, left yesterday afternoon. Why do you even care?” Dipper crossed his arms over his chest.

Gideon glanced over his shoulder to look at the forest before turning back to them, “Just please, come with me. If you want everyone in this town to live, you have to come with me and you have to trust me.”

Mabel’s eyes were focused on the trees. As Dipper opened his mouth to speak, she grabbed his wrist to allow Gideon to lead the way. The short man walked quickly before them. He didn’t respond to any questions that they asked. His mouth remained shut until they reached a small clearing in the forest. He turned to face the twins, “I’m so sorry for this but I didn’t know what else to do!” he took off running into the trees.

The twins looked around to see themselves standing a distance away. Their blank faces perfectly mirror each other. The other Mabel took a step forward, “We’re sorry to bother you so early in the day, but we know you have our demon. And we think it’s time you return him to us. So if you’d just kindly hand him over, we can be on our way before this gets ugly.”

The twins exchanged looks, “We don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m sorry, we can’t help you.” Mabel spoke up with her usual cheerful voice.

“Oh darling, I think you forget what the amulets are capable of. Especially when they’re connected to a demon. Your aura was two feet away from him not too long ago. We know you’ve been letting him live in your little shack. Just give him to us already. You must be tired of him by now.”

Dipper was next to speak, “Listen, Mabel? We really don’t know who you’re talking about or what you’re talking about. Demons aren’t real.”

Mabel smiled softly at the smaller twins, “If demons aren’t real, then tell me why his stench is all over you. I see you’ve got your own Bill. So why do you need ours?”

Mabel’s cheerful voice became something small and quiet, “He’s told us about how you treat him, we don’t think it’s best for him to go back with you. We think he should stay here with us.”

Dipper’s blue eyes narrowed at them, “You don’t decide what’s best for my pet.” he snapped his fingers.

**Malphas, “Times ticking. This Dipper wants to take you away. I suggest that you wake up and make your way back before someone you love dies.”**

**“Can you stop with the damn riddles for once and just speak plain English to me?!”**

**“Very well then. Be gone from the demon’s side for too long and he’ll snap. If you are taken by these twins, they will never let you return to your true Gravity Falls. You’ll never see your demon again.”**

**“Who is that someone? What do you mean he would snap? Wait, you don’t mean that Bill would actually try to kill my sister, right?”**

**“He is a demon. It is their nature to kill what is around them, no matter who the person is. She will perish if you are not there to control him.”**

**“Then wake me the fuck up you crazy bird!”**

Mabel looked around the now empty forest. Her voice straining as she called for her brother. The only thing that responded to her calls were the animals around her. Panic began to set in her body as she took off towards the shack. She wasn’t even sure if she’d find her way back. She didn’t even know where she was. All she knew was that she had to make it back to shack. Back to Bill so he could find her brother.

Bill hummed quietly as he scrubbed away at the dishes. The blue demon sat at the dining table playing with the pig. A small smile was on his face when the pig bumped its head against his leg. Bill turned his head to look at them, his eye instead focused on the girl running outside. He let out a long sigh, lasting until Mabel came tumbling into the room. Bill turned around completely, he whipped down a plate as he looked down at her. Mabel had her hands on her knees as she tried to regain her breath. Bill was the first to speak, “Star, if those twins are here then I’m not helping. I already told you that you’d have to handle them on your own.”

She held her index finger up, “We were handling them. Kinda. I didn’t know what to do. Bill I’m sorry! Please don’t hate me! I didn’t me-”

Bill began snapping his fingers, “Get to the point kid.”

“We were handling them finely until the other Dipper got pissed off at us and just snapped. I’m not really sure what happened but I woke up alone. Bill, they took Dipper.”

The demon’s eye grew, the plate dropped from his hand to crash down on the floor. Bill snatched the other demon’s arm before disappearing from the room. They stood in the forest alone. Bill released him and walked to a tree, giving it one hard punch. He leaned an arm against its trunk allowing his head to lay on it, “Blue you’ve got two seconds to figure out where they are.”

The smaller demon tensed up, “They’re in front of you.”

Bill looked up to see the blue twins standing in the clearing with them. Dipper stood on his knees tugging at the collar around his neck. Bill’s eye turned black, “Here’s your cruddy demon. Now give me back my Pine Tree.”

The other Dipper merely tilted his head, his eyes never leaving the blond. Though he was fuming with rage, Mabel was the one to speak, “We could give him back, but you allowed him to steal my brother's pet, even though you know how dangerous that could have been. Putting all of your lives at risk, what a shame. Considering you're the 'all-knowing' one, we thought you would've known better. I guess demons are stupid in every universe."

Bill rolled his eye, "And I guess the twins are just as annoying in every universe. Fuck off you blue wannabe."

Mabel scoffed at him, a hand reaching to spread over her chest, "I suggest you watch who you're talking to." her hand tightened on the chain as she tugged it up, causing the collar to push against Dipper's neck, "He's just one weak human after all. Do you really want me to kill him? Oh I have an idea! How about we let his mind kill him for us? Does he know about the sigil that you wear so shamefully on your back?"

Dipper looked up at the girl, “What sigil?”

A crooked smile crept onto the other Dipper's still face, “Oh how wonderful! This is going to be so much fun! Would you like to do the honors or should I? Imagine how bad this could be knowing that it showed up prematurely.”

Bill stood there unmoving with Blue cowering behind him. His body in complete shock, “How could you know that?”

Mabel reached into her pocket to pull out a small device, “Little Blue over there has a tracking device in him. That tracking device gives us his location at all times and feeds information back to us. We know about everything that’s happened since he’s arrived." she tucked the device back into her pocket before reaching a hand down to yank Dipper’s hair, forcing him to look at her, “Or how about we try something else. You like deals, right Bill?” his eye never left the brunet as he nodded, “Then let’s make one. I’ll hand over your precious little Dipper, no harm will come to him. He can go back to living in that crappy shack with his sister, but in exchange for sparing his life, you have to come back with us and take his place. I could use my own Bill.”

His eye snapped to her, “If it means that he gets to live his life safe then fine. He’s better off without me anyways. It’s a deal kid.” he held his hand out to Mabel, blue flames dancing around it.

Mabel grinned widely as her yellow flamed hand reached out to his. Dipper began tugging at the chain, “Bill don’t! I’m not better off without you! Who am I gonna wake up to in the morning? How’s gonna keep me company while I write my stories? Who’s gonna hold me in their arms while I make breakfast? Who’s gonna annoy the shit out of me in the most loving way? Who’s going to be there when I have my breakdowns? Mabel can’t calm me down the way you do. No one can replace you. You can’t leave me. You promised you wouldn't.”

“But kid look at you. Before I showed up you were living your life like a normal person. Your childhood was put behind you. Then I showed up again and took that away from you. If I don’t go with them, you’ll never be happy again.”

“I was still miserable before you showed up. I still suffered from nightmares. I was still living in my childhood. With you gone, everything would have been for nothing. I can’t be happy without you. I need you.”

Tears threatened to fall from Bill’s eye. The other Dipper rolled his eyes, hard, “You're a weak demon, letting emotions get the best of you. Pathetic.”

Blue stepped out from behind the yellow demon, earning the twin’s attention, “Emotions don’t make you weak. They make you human. This is why I never came back. It was my choice to stay here. I had to get away from you and your abusive ways. You don’t love me the way these two love each other. You treat me like a doormat. Like I'm just a little toy for you to toss around when you're angry or bored or whatever mood you're in! I have done everything for you. I do everything you ask. Everything I ever did for myself was gone the moment I met you. I lost myself for you. I gave up who I was, my whole life, just for you. I lost my title as a fearsome dream demon and became your scared little pet. I risk my life every day trying to hide from every demon out there so you both can keep your control over my powers. I do it all, everything, because I love you. And what have you done in return? Abuse the fuck out of me every second? That doesn't sound like love Dipper. So tell me, when did you stop loving me?”

Mabel’s mouth hung wide open as she looked at the demon. Her brother’s face hadn’t cracked. The look in his eyes had only grown more deadly. Silence hung around them for a few moments before Dipper knelt down to remove the collar from the kneeling boy's throat. Without hesitating, the brunet shot into Bill’s arms. Blue smiled at them, at least they could be happy together. The other Dipper walked to the blue demon, taking his hands in his own, “I’m so sorry. I hadn’t realized how I was treating you. I didn’t mean for things to turn out like this. I never stopped loving you. I’ll always love you. You’re the only one in my heart love. Can you ever forgive me?” he placed a hand against the demon’s cheek.

“Of course I can.” Blue turned his head to press a soft kiss against Dipper’s palm.

Bill and Dipper watched in silence as the others left without another word. Bill looked down when he felt the brunet shift in his arms. Their bodies pressed close together, “You need to stop doing crazy things Dipper. It’s like you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”

Dipper chuckled softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think they’d try taking me.” he looked up at Bill, “I spoke to Malphas again. I’ve got more questions to ask you later.”

“Why not now? While they’re still fresh?”

“My main priority right now is just being with you.” he tilted his head up to kiss Bill’s collarbone, “Let’s go home.”

Mabel stood on the porch fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She went stumbling down the steps when she saw the two walk out from the forest. Her eyes searched behind them for the blue one, “Are you two okay? Where’s Blue?”

“We’re fine, but they took him back with them. I think we kinda fixed their relationship.” Dipper spoke calmly as they walked.

She tilted her head, “Fixed their relationship? How could you manage that when you can’t even fix this one.” her hands motioned to Bill.

“I don't even know. But Blue finally worked up the courage to say something to him. I think he’ll be fine there. Plus, if he ever needs to run away, he knows where we are.”

Bill and Dipper let the way back into the shack. Mabel kept glancing over her shoulder just praying that Blue would come out from the trees to join them. The small girl departed from them to make her way to her studio. Bill fell onto the ground, completely ignoring the couch beside him. Dipper sat beside him playing with the soft blond hair, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just had to teleport me and Blue to the middle of that god forsaken forest, so I’m a little worn out. Nothing much.” His gold eye glanced over to the wall, “What did you mean when you said that you were still miserable before I showed back up?”

“Oh, it’s just..I guess that I’ve always felt like something's been missing. Ever since that summer, I just, there was just this empty feeling deep down inside. I always brushed it off and acted like it was because Ford had died. Yet I knew that wasn’t it and I was lying to myself. Despite what everyone thought, I was never actually ‘cured’ from the trauma. I still had nightmares every week. I was still seeing things that no one else saw. My sleeping problems were never gone, I gave up on taking the pills. As the years went by I just started to feel more and more numb and empty inside. The feeling got so much worse last year, right after I turned 18. So I guess thank you Bill, for filling that empty space and bringing me back. You mean a lot to me now.”

He gave the boy a small smile. Bill reached one of his hands up to cup Dipper’s cheek, “Calm down kid, I can feel you shaking from there. I’m pretty glad that I came back too. It’s not every day that a demon and a human get this close. It’s nice. I like this.”

Mabel slowly entered the room, earning their attention by the shuffling of her feet. She held a blue sweater in her hands. Her tired brown eyes running over the pattern on the front. The duo looked up at her as her eyes welled with tears, “We were like one weird little family. I can’t believe he’s gone, just like that.”

Dipper scrambled to his feet to hold her in his arms, "I’m sorry Mabel. There was nothing we could do. It was either we die, or they take him back. If things go well then I’m sure they’ll let him come back.”

Another pair of arms wrapped around them. The twins peeped to see Bill with his arms around them, a smile plastered to his face, “We’re still one weird little family Star. He’ll come back one day so don’t you dare get rid of that sweater.”

“You guys are lame, let me go you gays!” Mabel wriggled out of their arms and escaped into the kitchen to start on a late lunch.

The boys remained in the living room just holding each there, “You know what Pine Tree, I know I’m a demon and we don’t really understand human emotions but you have a special place in my heart.”

Bill rubbed his cheek against Dipper’s, earning a soft giggle from the brunet, “I hope you stick around for the rest of my life Bill. I really don’t know what I’d do without you here.”

“You and me both kid. Come on, we should help Star.”

Bill slid into one of the chairs as Dipper went to stand beside his sister. She smiled softly at him. That evening was quiet in the small mystery shack. Mabel disappeared into her studio after finishing her lunch. Bill peacefully played on the black piano. Soft music floated around the house, lifting both Bill and Mabel’s sad spirits. Dipper on the other hand was left to store away all of Blue’s clothes. He let out a deep sigh as he brought down the last box to put into the shed. By this time, the sun had already begun to fall behind the trees. Mabel still had yet to leave the studio, but Bill had emerged from the office. He quietly followed behind Dipper as they made their way to the shed. His golden eye running over the contents inside. Dipper slammed the door shut, slowly locking it up. Bill tilted his head as the boy turned around, “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s where he belongs. It wasn’t safe to keep him here.”

“I thought it was pretty safe, it took them awhile to finally show up. Plus we got out of that situation alive. But, what if they just go back to abusing him?”

“Sapling, I wasn’t talking about the twins. I was walking about him. If he was kept apart from that Dipper for too long then he would have gone insane and killed us all. That’s what happens when a human and a demon have a connection like that. It’s dangerous.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot, they’re in love. I never thought I’d live to see something like that.”

“You might get to live to see it again, if you’re lucky enough.”

Mabel stuck her head out the back door, “I’m heading to bed. Try not to wake me up when you go up.”

“You know what, I think we’ll come with you. We’ve had a strange day.”

Mabel curled up into a ball without saying another word to them. Waddles curled up beside her letting his back push against hers. Dipper and Bill laid in each other’s arms, both instantly falling asleep.

**“Child, you need to stop calling for me. I understand that you seek the truth, but you if you keep this up with no conclusions, you’ll surely die in no time. Our talks always seem to end in you being more confused. Your mind is in danger."**

**Dipper smiled at the bird before him, “I think I can get somewhere tonight. I just need some input on piecing things together.”**

**The bird gave a single nod, “Though I am bound by rules to help you as much as I can, I have my limits. I will help you, but at the cost of this being the last time. I will answer everything, but I can not promise fulfilling answers.”**

**“That’s fine, you've given me the most advice. Alright, let’s look at Blue and the other Dipper’s relationship. It proves that it is possible for demons and humans to love each other. But it’s an alternative universe for a reason, right? There’s no way that it could happen here.”**

**“Though the humans may vary from universe to universe, a demon is bound to the same rule. Demons are the one consistent thing. If it happens there, it can very well happen here.”**

**“So it’s a possibility for a demon to love. But that Dipper said something about a sigil on Bill's back. Then he mentioned something about it prematurely showing. What was he talking about?”**

**To Dipper's surprise, the bird managed to curve his beak into a smile, "A sigil is a binding mark. Perhaps we could speed things up. I understand that you have your own questions to ask me, but child, allow me just one question for you. How do you feel about this demon?"**

**Dipper's eyes moved to the ground, "How do I feel about him? I'm not too sure."**

**"Oh but you do. I am the demon of memories and thought young Pines. You can not hide your feelings from me. Confess them out loud and I shall give you what you seek. That is all I can offer to you."**

**"In the short amount of time that he's been here, he's become my closest friend. I trust him, like I don't even trust Mabel as much as him, it's crazy. It's weird too. He used to be the thing of my nightmares. My greatest fear for crying out loud! Yet now, he's just everything to me. It's like I can just look at him and know that everything will be okay. That every hell filled day I went through was worth it. I can finally fall asleep at night without those stupid pills. The nightmares have officially stopped and won't be coming back. He's done so much more than my own therapist ever did. And I know it's gonna suck when he finally gets bored and decides to leave. Or when the demons stop chasing him and the deals over. I don't want him to leave."**

**Malphas nodded to him, "And so he shall stay. The demon cares too much for you. He will not leave your side until you wish it. He is bound to you. That mark on your back matches his perfectly for a reason. He is yours. And you are his."**

**A smile spread onto Dipper's face as pink rose to his soft pale cheeks,** **“I'm gonna be honest with you Malphas, I barely even touched the pieces at all. If you're patient enough then someone is bound to put it together for you. The people around you will nudge the pieces into place for you. I get it now. Bill was the puzzle. He's the picture."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly so happy that I decided to rewrite this story. This part wasn't up to most people's standards in the previous version and it probably still isn't but hey, I like this one a lot more. I wanted it to be more touching and really make you cry with this but I'm not the best with writing happy lovey dovey things. But anyways! I hope you've enjoyed this story so far, I think things are about to be over soon.
> 
> I really wanted to emulate the whole idea I had with the Rev!Twins (Mabel being the more talkative/'emotional' one while Dipper was the more angry/crazy quite one) but I was just starting to confuse myself with the two twin thing. I hope I got my point across though!
> 
> A while back I told you guys the heights for every major(?) character in my story, so now I'm going to tell you the heights for the Rev! Pines. Rev!Mabel is 5'10" and Rev!Dipper is 6'3" I just feel like they would be slightly taller than the normal twins. And in case you're wondering, I imagine the Rev!Twins to look like this (http://shourca.tumblr.com/image/151349813907)


	20. I Knew This Would Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, I almost forgot to update this weekend! The end is near for this story!!
> 
> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

Dipper woke up with a smile so warm it could ignite the entire forest. But that smile faded when he noticed the spot beside him was cold and empty. He tilted his head back to see that the window sill was also empty. He hopped out of his bed and ran down to the kitchen with hope in his heart, the smile returning on his way there. When his eyes landed on the empty table, besides Mabel's sad expression, his smile fell to match hers. He slid into the seat across from her as she slid a note across the table, "I'm sorry Dip, but Bill decided to leave last night."

Dipper felt his heart burst in his chest. The weight of the world finally crashing back down on his shoulders and dear god was he not ready for this. But of course he knew this day would come, he just hoped it would be years from now. He had hoped that their life with Bill would end on Dipper's deathbed. With them reminiscing on the good old days. Not with a torn piece of paper with one short sentence: **I'm sorry Pine Tree.** Dipper hadn't even realized that Mabel had moved seats to hold him in her arms, nor did he notice his shaking hands, "I'm so sorry. I know how much he meant to you."

Dipper let out a small broken laugh as he fell against her, "I knew this would happen. He'd get off the hook for whatever he did and take off as if we were nothing."

"Dip, you know that's not true. We do mean something to him. We're his family. The only family he's ever had and will have."

"You've been wanting to get rid of him since day one. Why are you suddenly defending him when he's finally gone?"

Mabel's hold on him loosened, "Because he had a good reason for leaving us. He didn't leave simply because we held up our end of the deal. Our end was never finished. He's not off the hook. He left because he wants to protect us from everything that's after him."

Dipper looked up at her with teary eyes, "What are you talking about? If he really wanted to protect us then he would've stayed. He promised me he'd never leave."

Mabel shook her head as she pulled something out from her back pocket. She handed him a different note. This one was a full piece of paper with a small corner ripped off, "He didn't want me to give this to you. It was written to me so that I knew why he left. I don't want to you get hurt by not knowing, so here. Read it and tell me if you're still mad when you're done."

**Mabel, please don't hate me for what I'm doing. You know the truth about what he means to me, so please understand that I'm leaving for his own good. I can't let them get to him. He figured it out last night. He knows. But the amount of energy that came from his body last night was like a beacon to every demon out there. They know where I am now, and they're coming for me. They'd kill him in a heartbeat if I was around. So with me gone, they'll come straight for me and leave you both alone. You'll be safe just please stay out of the forest. Don't come after me. Don't try to help me. I swear to every god out there that I'll come home as soon as I lose them. So until then, I need your help. I need you to make sure that Dipper doesn't end up hating me for this. Don't tell him why I left, it'll just worry him. But make sure he still cares about me. Make sure he knows how much I love him. I'll come home as soon as I can, I promise. I love you both.**

The paper fell onto the table after being released by Dipper's limp fingers. Mabel watched him for a few minutes before his eyes focused on the note, "I hate him. That little shit."

"Dipper..you don't actually..you can't hate him."

Dipper had reached his breaking point. His tears began to drip down onto the paper, "You're right! Mabel, how could he just leave like that? What if they end up killing him!" Mabel wrapped her arms back around him to let him sob into her shoulder.

"Shh, it's fine Dipper. He'll be fine. This is Bill we're talking about after all. One of the most powerful demons out there. Nothing can kill him. Now, how about we have a movie day, hm? I'll run into town and grab some things then we'll spend the day, or however long you need, on the couch just watching all our favorite movies. Does that sound good?"

Dipper slowly nodded against her. She walked him to the couch and made sure to throw every blanket they owned onto him before leaving. Dipper laid on the couch with Waddles on his stomach just staring at the ceiling. The pig’s warm body was curled up on top of him, snoring his tiredness away. Tears crept out from his eyes to run smoothly down his cheeks. His hands lazily rested on the pig’s head, “Do you think he’ll come back soon?”

The pig sighed out deeply. Dipper chuckled softly. His hands kept rubbing softly against Waddle’s head until Mabel returned shortly after. She threw on a movie and crawled under the blanket. They did just as Mabel had said. They laid together under the blankets watching every movie they could think of. Dipper even let a few smiles come to his face. At the end of the day, Dipper went up to the attic without eating or saying anything more than a goodnight to Mabel. He didn’t dream or have a nightmare that night. In fact, his eyes wouldn’t even shut the entire time.

The following morning did nothing to change Dipper’s mood. He still felt empty. Dipper left the room before Mabel had woken up, locking himself in his office. He sat at the piano with his fingers hovering over the keys until they began playing the song Bill taught him. He spent the entire day in there, never leaving the piano. His fingers never stopping. Mabel checked up on him a few times but was completely ignored every time she tried to talk to him. So eventually, she gave up. This continued on for a few more days. Mabel decided against going into the room to check on Dipper. He never went up to the attic to sleep at night. Music continued through the shack on repeat for those days, at least until Mabel came running into the room waving her hands in Dipper’s face, “Dipper Pines! I know you’re so busy sulking right now, but you need to come with me to the living room right this second! You’ll love it!”

“Leave me alone Mabel.” he pushed the girl’s hands down away from him.

“Yeesh kid, I haven’t seen you in five years and this is how you treat your old man?”

A chill shot down Dipper’s spine from the nostalgic voice. He slowly turned out to see Stan standing in the doorway in his usual black suit and maroon fez. He took a wobbled step into the room, his dark eyes landing on the piano, “What are you? Mozart now? What happened to Ford’s young apprentice?”

Dipper felt a small but real smile creep onto his lips as he rushed over to hug the old man, “I thought we’d never see you again!”

Stan began to laugh, “You thought that just because I handed over the keys, you’d just get rid of me? Your grunkle is still kicking kid! My, I see Ford was right on his assumption. You’ve grown so much!” he grabbed one of Dipper’s arms to examine it, “Yet you still have your thin little girl arms!”

“And you still have your aging body Stanley. Little girl arms sounds a lot better than wrinkled wings to me.”

Their attentions turned to the flat voice behind them. This time, it was Pacifica standing in the doorway. Mabel ran over to her, “What are you doing here?!”

Pacifica giggled as she returned Mabel’s hug, “Stan has me ship things to his island so he never has to leave. It’s good money for someone young on the run. He also taught me how to pilot.” she tipped her blue cap to them.

Stan rested both of his hands on his black cane, “But there is real reason as to why we’re here. Something came up on the island. With Ford being gone I didn’t know who to turn to. But hey, you learned from the man himself before he passed, so Pacifica flew us all the way out here to get the both of you. What’da say kids? Wanna go to island de Stan?”

Dipper looked back at the piano, then back at Mabel. She had her hands cupped together as she gave him her biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster. He sighed out deeply, turning back to Stan, “Yeah, we’ll go.”

“Then let’s get going! I’ll start up the plane.”

Stan ushered the kids out of the door once they had their bags packed and ready to go. He sat across from the twins on the small aircraft. Mabel stole the seat by the window, looking down at the fading town with Waddles on her lap. Dipper kept his eyes focused on the cockpit. A stranger sat beside Pacifica, “Hey Grunkle Stan, who else pilots this thing?”

Stan leaned over his chair to look a the dark door, “Oh, just a trusted friend of mine. He isn’t very social, but eventually you’ll meet him.”

Dipper slowly nodded as he leaned back in his seat. The flight to the island took a few hours But soon enough, the twins were being led off the plane by Stan and Pacifica. Dipper glanced back at the plane to see that the other pilot was staring back at him. Stan led them out of the hanger and through a tunnel that lead to the house. Mabel was shocked at how large the house really was. Stan showed them to their side by side rooms while Pacifica disappeared elsewhere, “I want the both of you to explore the island and have some fun today. Tomorrow we’ll talk about the issue.”

Mabel was quick to listen to the old man. She changed into her bikini before running down to the pool with Waddles where Pacifica sat. Dipper chose to venture around the house until he came to a stop at a large library. The twins spent the rest of their day in their own little worlds, until Stan called them all in for dinner. Mabel and Stan spent their entire meal talking about what’s happened since they’ve last seen each other. Dipper remained silent, only eating a few bites of his food before poking at it with his fork. Pacifica nudged her elbow into his side, “Where’s Bill?”

Dipper dropped his fork to look at her with wide eyes. Stan and Mabel stopped talking to look at them, “Ah yes, I almost forgot about him. Pacifica’s told me all about your relationship with him Dipper. So how come he wasn’t at the shack with you two?”

Dipper’s gaze dropped down to his lap. Mabel cleared her throat to answer for him, “He left. All he said was that something was chasing after him and that the only way to keep us safe would be to leave. But he said he’d come back as soon as he can.”

“Hm, and Dipper, my boy, you love him, right?”

The brunet looked up at him with tired eyes that said nothing, “Yeah, I do.”

Stan placed his fork down, “I see. Excuse me, I need to go handle something.” he pushed himself away from the table to leave the room.

Dipper turned to Pacifica with angry eyes, “How could you just tell him something like that?! That’s my personal business and that’s my grunkle. Not yours.”

Pacifica’s hand shot up to snatch his ear, “Don’t start yelling at me when you don’t know the truth Dipper. I told him for a good reason, and you’ll find out what that reason is tomorrow.”

Pacifica gave a quick pinch to his ear before gathering the plates and leaving. The two girls cleaned up the dishes while Dipper went off to bed. He laid there, alone. An empty feeling washing over him as his hand rested on the empty space beside him, “Please be okay.” Dipper whispered to himself before shutting his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

**Trees surrounded him from every direction, blocking anything from sight. A faint blue hue moved around through the dense forest. It came to a stop before Dipper. A bright smile was flashed at him, “Hey Dipper! I thought this was worth a shot and look! It worked!  I wanted to say thank you for your help. You and Mabel are the kindest souls I’ve ever met,” he looked around them, “Where’s Bill?”**

**Dipper glanced down at the ground, “He’s gone. He decided it was best for him to leave before anything could harm us.”**

**Blue tilted his head, his eyes searching over the boy, “I see, it’s about time you decided. He’ll come back, trust me. The sigil possesses the demon shortly before they go insane, he’ll have to come back.”**

**“It took him a whole year to come in the first place though! What if it takes another year? I just wish he would’ve stayed and talked to me about this.”**

**“He loves you. He wants what’s best for you. He’ll come back in a short time, believe me.”**

**“I hope you’re right.”**

**Blue stepped forward to take the boy in his arms, “You know he’ll come back. Why worry so much?”**

**“I know. I shouldn’t even be thinking about it, but I can’t help myself. He’s reckless. What if he slips up and they get him?”**

**Blue shook his head, letting him go. He looked down at him with the same soft and loving smile that Bill always wore, “He won’t let anything get between the two of you.”**

**Dipper felt the tears come to his eyes. Blue looked too much like Bill that it hurt the boy to look at him. Dipper averted his eyes to the sky. The same bright memories floated through the dark blue. One of the bright orbs stopped to ascend down to him. July 4th. Dipper and Bill were sitting on the cliff talking. Bill looked up at the dark sky, his finger pointing up, “I’d always have the stars to remind me of you.”**

**Dipper released the orb to look back at the sky. He’d always have the night sky to remind him. He looked back down to see that Blue was gone. Instead, his presence was replaced by eerie voices. Coldness came from behind him as the sounds grew closer and closer. The trees quickly faded to a dark wet cave, only amplifying the strange noises. A body ran past him, someone with blond hair and a yellow glow. The person stopped. Their glow exposing the stone wall that marked the end of the cave. They spun around, their back pressing against the sharp rough surface. The face looked at Dipper. Bill. Fear completely spread over his face as he began searching around for an escape. Dark shadows came rushing past him, swarming around the demon. Bill’s screams echoed throughout his head.**


	21. We Have To Find Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to me being in a good mood (and a little too excited) here's an early update for you guys!
> 
> Bold and italic text indicates them being in the Mindscape.  
> Bold text indicates their thoughts.

Dipper scrambled out of his bed. He fell to the ground with a loud thud as his breathing became violent. His eyes were focused on the empty bed. **Bill.** Dipper felt his entire body begin to grow weak with every breath that he took. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he thought about how Bill was doing. The demon could have been killed off by now But wouldn’t Dipper have been able to sense that his soulmate was no longer alive? He was an all-powerful demon after all. **The human body has its limits.** There was a knock at the door as footsteps walked into the room. Dipper looked at the person with wide eyes. His heartbeat and tears only grew faster, “Ford?”

A faint smile spread onto his old face, “It’s been a while son,” he held a hand out to Dipper, “Come with me, your sister’s waiting for us.”

Dipper glanced at the hand, hesitating before accepting it. Mabel sat on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hands. Dipper sat beside her as Stand handed him a cup of tea. Pacifica sat against the coffee table while Ford pulled a chair over to sit in front of them, “Now I know what you’re thinking: why am I alive? Well that’s a fun story, so let’s begin. After I pulled the trigger, Bill and I were brought before the Three Fates. Future took one look at him and sent him right back up without saying anything to the other two. He had a fate that required him to stay alive. You were that fate Dipper. They saw what I did as a mistake so they gave me a choice to live or to die. If I kept my mouth shut and remained out of your lives until you decided, then I’d be allowed to live. But if I had ever tried to get into contact with either of you before this point, they would have cut my string in a heartbeat. Which brings me back to you my boy, how are you holding up?”

Dipper looked down at his cup, “I’ve been better. Honestly, I was expecting both of you to yell at me. I’m surprised you’re not trying to find a way to get rid of the sigil.”

Ford stood from his chair to place his hands on Dipper’s shoulders, “The only way to remove that sigil is to kill you. I might be able to kill a demon, but I can’t kill my own blood. Wipe that worry off of your face. We’re gonna find him and we’re gonna bring him back. Come with me.”

Ford led the twins, along with Pacifica, through the house until they reached a strange door. He led them down the stairs to a thick metal door. It slid open, causing the space around them to rumble. The room was massive, looking similar to his lab back at the shack. However, this lab was more advanced and bigger. The wall in front of them consisted purely of screens. A radar was the only thing it showed, “If you look closely, the shack is here, in the dead center. The forest lies all around it. But ever since you moved in, more and more..things..have been showing up. It’s like the moment you stepped in there was the moment they all found you Dipper.”

The radar slowly began to tick, showing more red dots with every tick. Dipper stepped closer, watching a certain red dot moved closer to the house, slower than the rest though. He pointed a finger up at it as the radar stopped, “What is that? It looks bigger than the rest.”

“That’s just the thing. At first I assumed it was Bill. But then I saw that his dot wasn’t red.” the radar ticked one more time to show two different colored dots beside each other a small distance from the shack, “His dot is yellow, just like him. The both of you have blue dots. This was the day he arrived in Gravity Falls. The red dot moved its course and went off in that direction, until you brought him into the shack.” the radar ticked to show the same yellow dot moving away from the shack with the red one following close behind, “It doesn’t seem interested in you in particular, more with him. I’m not sure what that demon’s doing but he seems to be toying with it. Just enough to make sure it stays far away from you. I don’t know what it is, but whatever it is, Bill knows just how dangerous it really is.”

Dipper turned to look at Ford, “Then what are we waiting? Let’s go help him!”

Pacifica stood beside him and clamped a hand down onto his shoulder, “Dip, you can’t just rush in to hunt this thing down when you don’t even know what it is. If Bill’s running from it then do you really think that we can help him? He’s on his own until we figure out what it is.”

“She’s right son. If I don’t know what it is then I can’t do anything. Bill led it to the thickest part of the forest. There would be no way for me to see it unless I was standing inches from it. The best I can do is to search through my papers, which is another reason why I brought you back. You’ve always been better at connecting the dots than I am. I promise you that the moment we get an idea, we’ll go straight back to help him. But for now, you have to help me figure it out.”

Dipper looked past Ford to see a table covered in books and papers. He nodded as he looked back at the ticking radar, “Well first of all, Bill is a pretty powerful demon to begin with. His dot is significantly bigger than the others around him, so if this thing is twice his size, then it has to be a demon that doubles in his power. We need every file on any demon that’s stronger than him.”

Ford pushed up his glasses, “I’ve already done that. There’s only three files, but according to those, they’re not much stronger than Bill. They just about match him.”

Mabel began to bounce as she waved her hands above her head, “Bill told us that the human form weakens him! Maybe that affects the size of his dot. So then it has to be one of the three.”

“But he never told us how much it weakens him, meaning that it could also be a demon that’s slightly weaker than him,” Dipper’s eyes focused on a different dot, “Wait a minute! That one!”

The radar stopped ticking. A blue dot was half covering a green dot, with the same yellow dot sitting not too far from it. Mabel looked at the three dots, “Is that the Siren?”

“Yes! Mabel, grab every file for Sirens that you can find. Pacifica, get me files for every demon that’s close to Bill’s power.” the two girls dashed to the rows of cabinets to begin their search as Dipper turned to his confused grunkle, “Ratios! Her dot isn’t too different from Bill’s, it’ll tell us just how much weaker he is and tell us just exactly what the big dot is!”

The two girls continued their search through the cabinets and bring back anything useful. Dipper and Ford sat at the massive table searching through every file. With the little progress that they made, Dipper felt like only minutes had passed rather than hours. Mabel was the first to head up to bed with Pacifica following after her only minutes later. Ford tried to stay up for as long as he could, only to pass out right on top of the files he looked over. Stan made his way into the lab to find Dipper still up, his eyes looking over every document and word, “Kid, take a break. If you’re tired then you won’t be able to focus very well and you might miss something important. You can keep searching tomorrow.”

"Grunkle Stan, I appreciate that you're trying to look after me, but I have to find him."

Stan's hand slammed down on the table, right on top of the file that Dipper was looking over, "Ford has spent the past moth watching your dots very closely. Your life force affects Bill. You know what a lack of sleep can do to you. Don't let it slow him down."

Dipper's fingers began to loosen around the papers. He let out a small sigh as he hopped off the stool and made his way to the door. He took a glance behind him to see Stan waking up Ford before heading to his room. Dipper wasn’t able to sleep much that night. Fear kept him tossing and turning in his bed. He watched quietly as the sun slowly rose to shine into his dark room. He tossed the sheets off of his body and ran down to the lab, yet was quiet enough to not wake anyone else in the house.

Mabel shuffled into the kitchen where Stan and Ford stood cooking. Pacifica sat at the table reading over a paper. Mabel sat beside the blond as she yawned, “Has anyone woken up Dipper yet?”

“I’ll do it.” Ford set down his knife to wobble down the hallway.

He knocked softly and received no answer. Another knock, but this time, harder. Still no answer. “Dipper, we’re making bre-” he opened the door to find the bed completely empty.

A scream came from the other side of the house, followed by footsteps. Dipper came to a stop in front of his grunkle. He handed a paper up to the old man. A black bird was sketched on the left half, “Malphas? I haven’t done much research on him.” Ford read over the words to find that there was only two sentences of information.

Dipper regained his breath to snatch the paper back and walk into the kitchen. He slammed the paper down in front of Mabel, jolting her awake, “Dipper? What is this? Wait, Malphas?”

“Yes, the same asshole that gave me a nightmare and sent me into the forest for the night. But this asshole was also in my head. He was the one helping me with my problem. So why was he the one to give me a nightmare and why is he the one chasing after Bill?”

Mabel’s eyes moved around as she thought, “Uhm,” her fingers snapping together as she stood from the table, “Because if a demon kills Bill, they get his dimension!”

“Exactly! Malphas is bound by demon rules to help, but when he’s not helping me, he has full control to go after Bill. Malphas is a demon that has some power in the Mindscape. He wants complete rule over it. He’s the one chasing after Bill. But Bill is the only one that knows anything about him.”

Ford picked up the paper to look over it, “Wait a minute, Malphas. That name does sound too familiar to me. He’s a demon of what now? Memory and thoughts? So he has a way into the Mindscape. Interesting. I have a few files on Mind demons. Most can be summoned, but we’d need to know his ritual. Then there’s the issue of knowing what to do with him, kill him or make a deal?”

“I know who to ask. Blue visited me in the Mindscape the other night. He’s gotta know who Malphas is or give us something useful.” Dipper dashed out of the room.

Ford looked at Mabel with a raised brow, “Blue?”

“Don’t ask.”

**_Dipper was back in the dark forest. The same blue glow floated in the distance as it approached him. “Hey Dipper! Anything I can do for you?”_ **

**_“Actually yeah, do you know anything about a demon named Malphas?”_ **

**_Blue’s hand raised up to rub his chin, “I know some about him. I never cared about who he was in our universe, not to mention I killed him when he tried to get between me and my Dipper. He’s a demon of the mind and thought. You can either summon him in person, or he comes to you in your Mindscape when you have a bad enough problem. His rituatual is unknown to most and it’s advised that you don’t summon him. No matter how specific you are with your deals he’ll always find a way to screw you over in the end. He’s perhaps one of the biggest trickster demons out there. Though, it’s relatively easy for a demon to kill him, it’s not to easy for a human. Why do you ask?”_ **

**_“He’s chasing after Bill. I need to know how to get rid of him. Please help me.”_ **

**_Blue’s hand dropped, “I uhm, Dipper, demons tend to be the same in every universe. Yet not quite. He’s stronger here than from my world. The best bet for you is a deal, Bill won’t be able to kill him in his human form. But just please, listen to me, let Bill handle him.”_ **

**_Dipper stepped forward to hold Blue’s wrist, “I can’t do that, just please, tell me the ritual. I’m begging you.”_ **

**_“I don’t know the ritual. It’s not written anywhere! The only ones that know it are Siren’s. That’s all I can offer to you. I’m sorry.”_ **

“Mabel! Ford!” Dipper went running down to the lab with a smile on his face, “We have to go back!”

Mabel dropped a stack of folders onto the desk in front of her grunkle, “What are you talking about Dip? We’ve got all the information we could ever need right here in this room. I know you want him back as soon as possible, but just give us some time to find the answer.”

Dipper stopped in front of his twin to place his hands on her shoulder and lightly shake her, “The Siren! The one back in Gravity Falls at the hidden lake! Blue told me that Siren’s know every summoning ritual out there. She’ll tell us! I just know it!”

Mabel glanced back at Ford. The white lights in the room reflected onto his face, hiding the true emotion behind his expression. He glanced back down at the papers, not giving any response. Dipper moved away from his sister to stand on the other side of metal table. This time, his hands were placed over the paper’s Ford looked over, “Grunkle please, we hav-”

“No, you don’t. It’s been seven years Dipper. You have no idea what I’ve collected in those seven years.” he picked up his notebook from beside his papers and began walking into the darkness of the room.

Mabel and Dipper exchanged looks yet followed after the old man. He led the twins down a hall with metal walls and dim lighting. As they reached the end of the hall, Ford pulled a silver key out from under his shirt. The large heavy door slowly opened as a blue light emitted from the other end of the room. A low raspy chuckle echoed around the room as they walked in. “I haven’t seen you in a while Ford.”

A large tank was all the room held. A blue glow came came from it to replicate the light in the deep ocean. Inside the tank, was one of the largest Sirens Dipper had ever seen. Mabel remained by the door, along with Dipper, as Ford approached the tank, flipping his notebook open, “If any Siren would know the ritual, then it would be the Alpha himself. Kids, meet Naberius. The first Siren to ever exist.”

A grin spread across Naberius’ face, “So, these are the young twins that you always speak of? My, I see what you mean. Though they’re born of the same embryo, they have opposite auras.” his lime green eyes moved back to the old man, “Why do you come to me old man?”

“We need a summoning ritual. Do you know a demon named Malphas by any chance?”

A frown spread across his once smiling face. His eyes moved to focus on the boy standing far away. The edges of his lips curved up again as he wagged a finger in the brunet’s direction, “Come here boy. Ah, yes. The boy who fell in love with an alpha demon. My daughter has spoken of you. Though she isn’t fond of the golden one, I admire his bravery of holding a gun to her head. You wish to save him from the bird don’t you?” Dipper slowly nodded, “Yes of course. Malphas is a trickster, remember this boy. In order to summon the bird you need the feather of The Mystic, an eye cursed by a witch, and a hunk of snow white hair. Be wary my boy, he is not to be trusted.”

Ford slapped his notebook shut and began to shuffle the twins out of the room. Pacifica came stumbling down the stairs and into the lab as they sat around the metal table. She laid a map out in front of the group, “We’re in luck with one item, the cursed eye is in our possession. The Mystic will be difficult though. He lives in the Himalayas and isn’t too fond of giving people his feathers, but he might be willing to give us one if we mention that it’s a soulmate we’re searching for. As for the white hair, we can take some from Gideon. Mabel, you and I will head back to Gravity Falls to get it, that’s where we’ll do the ritual.”

Ford began stacking some papers up as Pacifica began circling and marking the map. Mabel began bouncing up the stairs to get ready while Dipper stood by his grunkle, “Wait, we have to go to a mountain range?”

Ford glanced up at him, pushed his glasses up, then resumed his organizing, “Yes, you have to be there in order for him to give us a feather. It’s your story, not ours. Go up and start packing.”

“But grunkle, don’t take this the wrong way, aren’t you a little too old to be hiking up a mountain? That’s covered in snow?”

“Son, I might be old and might’ve died once, but a mountain won’t stop me from helping out my family. Get packing, we’re leaving tonight.”

Dipper opened his mouth to protest. He watched as Ford moved around the room collecting papers. With one small nod, he left the lab. As the sun began to set on the small island, the Pines family were ready to take off. Pacifica and Mabel took the smaller plane to make their way back to Gravity Falls. Stan topped of the bigger plane that would take Ford and Dipper to the Himalayas. Stan waved off the two as they left the hanger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're probably all confused about why Pacifica is involved with last chapter and this chapter and honestly I've got no better reason other than I just like her a lot. My sassy blonde needs her time in the spotlight too!! (Plus I kinda wrote her in when I was half awake but didn't know how to write her out so she's here to stay!)


	22. I Found You

It was early morning by the time they arrived at their destination. They were greeted by a small old lady with long grey hair and a wrinkly yet happy face. She held a thing brown cane in one hand as they approached her. It was a small little cottage at the base of the mountain. “Long time no see Ford, where have you been hiding all these years?”

“Lots and lots of research Honia. By the way, this is my nephew, Dipper.”

Dipper followed Ford into the cottage as the lady slammed the door shut behind them. She squinted her eyes at the boy as he took a seat on the couch beside his grunkle, “Hm, strange. Are you sure you’re related to him? He’s so small and thin and tall compared to you and your brother.”

“We’re not exactly blood related but we consider each other family. Now as to why we’re here, do you know about the creatures that live in this mountain range?”

“Heavens yes I do, I am The Mystic after all. I know all that choose to live in my home and call it theirs. What do you seek my friend?”

“We actually came looking for you. We need a feather from you to summon a demon named Malphas.”

The woman’s face changed into something of disgust. “That tricky demon? Why would you be after him? He’s not the type to help someone out without taking something that they loved from them.”

Ford nudged Dipper’s side with his elbow, signalling for him to speak. Dipper slid a little forward on the couch, closer to the woman as he folded his hands together, “Malphas is chasing after my soulmate. We want to summon Malpas so we can make a deal and get him to leave us alone. But we need a feather from you in order to summon him. Will you please help us?”

The woman looked at Dipper with a blank face. She slowly stood from her chair and made her way to a nearby bookshelf. Her eyes moved over the books as she began to speak, “You know child, word spreads fast with us Alphas. We know the story well. Dipper Pines, the young boy bound to the psychotic Alpha dream demon. Though I do not like either demon you're after, I always help out in the search for a soulmate. The feather you seek is at the peak. I am The Mystic, but the feathers lie with the spiritualistic.”

“Honia, old friend, please don’t speak in riddles. We need to find him and fast. Now is not the time for these games.”

Honia turned to face them. This time, her expression was dark, “The child is in love with a demon. A murderous demon. I am afraid I must speak in riddles when it comes to this. But you’re a smart child. The beginning is easy for you, the second may take some thinking.”

Dipper laid back on the couch as he thought about what the Mystic said. She looked down at Dipper as she walked out of the room. Ford kept his eyes focused on her, watching as she walked into the kitchen nearby. Dipper moved his hands to rest against his knees, “We have to climb the mountain in order to get the feather. But I just don’t understand what the spiritualistic part is. Is there like a spiritual version of her that’s a bird? Is it because she’s old too?”

“Quite rude to assume a woman’s age, but yes. In order to ensure my safety, I left a spiritual bird of me at the top of the mountain which grants those worthy enough a single feather. I deem you worthy, Dipper Pines. But according to my laws I am unable to hand over a feather too easily. You must climb the mountain like everyone else. I can however, provide you one bit of help. I can supply you with what you need and I can show you the easiest way up.”

The Mystic fed them soup before collecting their items and sending them on their way. It was a long two day hike up the mountain with little to no sleep. Dipper didn’t have it in him to stop for any more than five minutes. He knew that Bill could handle himself, but for how much longer is what pushed him to keep going. Though Dipper did worry about his grunkle’s capabilities of climbing, the old man kept insisting that he could keep going. With a small amount of bickering and really catching up on the past seven years, they reached the top of the mountain. There was a small spotlight resting on a rock at the very peak. The snow around it was melted away to reveal the bright green grass underneath. A loud caw was heard in the distance as wings flapped over to them. The bird landed right in front of them with a black feather in its beak. Dipper hesitantly took the feather from the bird before it took off into the sky.

The hike down the mountain took less than a day thanks to the boards The Mystic gave them. Dipper couldn’t wait any longer when they returned to the cottage. He was already back in the plane getting it started up as Ford said his goodbye to Honia. Within several hours, their plane landed in Gravity Falls. Mabel and Pacifica stood beside a familiar red pick up truck. Dipper came bouncing down the steps as a ginger stepped out of the car with a beaming smile. Mabel was the first one to run into her brother’s arms, “Guess who came back to give us a helping hand.”

Dipper released his sister to let Pacifica pat him on the back as Wendy approached him, “Hey dude! It’s good to see that you’re still alive and that the monster didn’t eat you alive!”

“I- Wendy, please don’t be mad at me.”

“I could never be mad at you, you’re like a brother to me. It wasn’t your fault that fate decided to screw you over and leave you tied to that thing. But hey, if you really do love him then I’ll set aside my hatred. We’re family, no demon or human will ever change that.” she reached a hand up to ruffle up his hair, “Now, let’s go save that son of a bitch.”

The teens hopped into the trunk of the pickup while Wendy drove them back to the shack with Ford beside her. Mabel was silent the entire ride home while Pacifica kept Dipper distracted with constant questions of the Himalayas. When they reached the shack, Ford was quick to make his way down to his old lab. Wendy went down with him to help prepare while Pacifica went to start on dinner. Mabel and Dipper were left in the living room to plan out what deal they would make. “So I was thinking that since he likes to play tricks, we trick him back. Like a taste of his own medicine if he tries anything. Thing is that I’m not too good with that kind of stuff, got anything for me?”

“Uhm, Dip, We have a small problem.”

Dipper looked over at her, “What do you mean? We’ve got the eye and the feather. And you and Pacifica got Gideon’s hair. That’s all that we need.”

“We need the hair. We went to Gideon’s place but he wasn’t there! They haven’t seen him since Blue left. No one knows where he is.”

The hope inside of Dipper, the thing that had been keeping him going, died inside of his chest. His body went cold. “There’s gotta be something else. Another person with white hair. What about Old Man McGucket?”

“He died three years ago, trust me we already went looking for him. There’s no one.”

“Then we have to find Gideon. Right now.”

“Dipper-”

“No Mabel, I’m not gonna sit around and wait for Bill to come back when I can bring him back by tomorrow morning. We’re finding Gideon and we’re getting my demon back.”

Pacifica had silently slipped into the room and was now sitting on the arm rest beside him, “Calm down and listen to your sister. We found his stupid american flag pin by the mirror. Something dragged him in there. We’re not about to risk our lives going in there to find him. We’ll just have to look around for someone else.”

Dipper shot up from his spot, walking backwards out of the room, “The Siren can help!” he dashed out of the house without another word.

Mabel went chasing after him but lost him moments after entering the thick trees. His long legs took him as far as they could for hours. Yet he was unable to find the hidden lake. He stopped at a large rock to catch his breath. His brown eyes raced around the now dark forest trying to find anything that looked familiar. But there was something that was familiar. A small blue glow began getting closer to him. A familiar warming smile beamed at him. “Thank god we found you Dipper!”

“Blue? What are you doing here? Won’t the other twins get angry that you left again?”

Two more people emerged from the trees keeping another person standing. The other twins smiled softly at him. The person between them was a blond. Dipper bolted up from the rock to stand in front of the injured body. “How did you guys find him?!” Dipper’s hands cupped softly against Bill’s cheeks.

Mabel readjusted her grip on the demon, “Bill over here spent an entire day begging us to help you guys out. We thought it’d be a good way of thanking you for taking care of him while he was with you. And at the same time rid your universe of Malphas. Your Bill is now safe and can return home. But we’re sorry to say that he is a bit injured.”

Dipper looked up at Mabel with teary brown eyes and a broken but still happy smile on his face, “Thank you so much,” he turned to look at the other Dipper, “The both of you, thank you so fucking much.”

The twins nodded softly to him. Dipper placed a soft kiss to Bill’s head before leading the way back to the shack. Blue and Mabel had switched spots allowing the girl to walk with Dipper and ask questions about their world, “You know, I guess Bill does have a point. We have changed since we found the amulets. Maybe we should go back to our old ways brother.” she glanced over her shoulder to look at her twin.

The brunet said nothing as he followed behind them. He gave a small tug of his shoulder as a half hearted reply. She turned her attention back to the faint path before them. Mabel stood outside of the shack with Pacifica and Ford. Before them was a large black chalist. “Mabel! Grunkle Ford!” Dipper began waving his hands over his head to earn their attention.

The three of them looked up at the arriving group. A joyful smile covered Mabel’s face as she took off towards the blue demon, “Blue! Buddy! You’re back!”

Pacifica and Ford walked over to them slowly. Pacifica went to stand beside Mabel and Blue as they caught up. Ford took Bill off of their hands and carried him into the shack. The two Dippers followed behind them. Bill was laid to rest on the couch, his fingers lightly twitching. Cuts covered his body with one large cut going over his right cheek. Dipper sat on the floor beside him, “How did you find him exactly.”

The other Dipper crossed his arms over his chest, “Our Bill could sense him since they’re almost the same person. It was hard at first and took longer than we expected but we found him hidden in a cave. It was good timing also. Your Malphas was two seconds away from killing him, so our Bill did what any good loyal demon would do. He killed him before anything could happen.”

Ford pushed his glasses up further on his nose, “May I ask you some questions?”

The other Dipper tilted his head, dark blue eyes looked at the old man with nothing in them, “I don’t see why not. But let’s do it in another room, I think Dipper would want some alone time with Bill.”

Dipper watched as they left the room. A small grunt came from Bill earning Dipper’s attention back onto him. The demon brought a hand up to rub at his eyes. “Mm, what?”

Dipper’s hand moved to brush against Bill’s uninjured cheek. Bill tilted his head to look at the boy, “Pine Tree?”


	23. Forever With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost missed this weeks update because I wasn't too sure how to write this chapter. but alas! I still got it done in time! It's about time this story comes to an end, so here you go.

**Age 25**

This was a day of white. A day of celebration. A day where two become one. The day that most people dreamt of. For heaven’s sake, it was a day that Mabel thought about every second. But this day wasn’t for Mabel. No. This day was meant for Dipper and Bill only. Though Dipper had happily granted Mabel her lifetime wish of being the flower girl at someone’s wedding. She walked down the aisle with Blue beside her, tossing gold and white flowers onto the ground that they walked on. Bill stood at the end with tears building up in his shimmering gold eye. Pacifica stood beside him with a book in her hands and a large smile on her face. As they reached the end, Mabel stood off to the opposite side of Bill while Blue went to stand behind the yellow demon. The next to walk down the aisle was Dipper. Stan and Ford stood on either side of him as they walked him down. Mabel gave her brother a loving smile as he took his place beside Bill. Pacifica gave each of them a bright and gleaming smile, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

 

**Age 29**

Dipper had this sense of deja vu for the last 24 hours. It began early in the morning, both still fast asleep in bed, when Dipper's phone began vibrating beside him. The sound of Pacifica's frantic voice on the other end of the call was the first feeling for Dipper. The same panic and excitement that flowed through his body three years ago came back as he turned to wake up the sleeping demon beside him. The second feeling was when Dipper ran into the hospital and straight up to the front desk asking for his sister. The third feeling when he was escorted into the room where Mabel was cradling a small baby in her arms. the forth feeling was when the two couples made their way back to Dipper's house to get the new baby settled in. But this time, there was a small blond three year old boy being held in Bill's arms to see his new baby sister. His hazel eyes wide with curiosity at who the new stranger was. To the twins' surprise, the new baby didn't look anything like the boy. This baby had tan skin and a very short amount of dark brown hair. Then came the single brown eye with a gold one to match it.

 

**Age 44**

Dipper always knew this day would come. He'd been dreading it the moment his son was first conceived. It's an instinct for kids to want out the moment they can. So it was no surprise to Dipper and Bill when their 18 year old son decided he wanted to leave Oregon for college. Today, Dipper's number one fear came to life as they stood in the driveway watching as their little boy left the nest. A 16 year old girl stood behind them both, rolling her eyes deeply before launching herself at her parents. She nuzzled her cheeks against the both of them in a tight hug, "Don't worry you two, you're still stuck with me for a couple more years!"

 

**Age 50**

In all of Dipper's years, he never imagined he would live long enough to see this moment. He always thought that with his paranoia and depression, that would be what killed him off before he could witness this moment. But with the help of his beloved sister, her wife, and one crazy demon he was able to see his daughter-in-law give birth to his first grandchild. 

 

**Age 62**

Panic was the only thing going through Dipper’s body for the past month. Their two kids were driving back home for the holidays with their own children. Along with Mabel and Pacifica with their daughter, Fawn. Dipper and Mabel had reached the good old age of 62, they looked the part and spoke the part, but Dipper’s husband did not. Over the years, his kids had always asked why one dad looked much older than the other, yet neither had the guts to explain that one was a demon and therefore couldn’t age. But today, when their kids arrived, they’d sit down and explain everything to them. Now any normal parent hiding something from their child for their whole lives would be worried out of their mind, but when that thing was a demon, Dipper had no idea how to prepare or how to even panic for it. But the dreaded time came too soon as there was a knock at the door. A few young kids came running into the house and out to the large backyard. Bill and Dipper sat their kids down in the living room and let the cat out of the bag.

 

**Age 78**

Dipper was never good with comforting people. He was never good at expressing his thoughts. But his sister was in pain, and he was sure as hell going to do everything that he could to care for her. The death of Mabel’s beloved wife, Pacifica, came as a shock to everyone. It was a normal night for them all. Mabel was at home baking for an upcoming bake-sale that her grandkids attended every year. Dipper and Bill were sitting in their empty home enjoying each others company, Dipper on his computer working on a story he would never publish, and Bill playing softly on his piano. That's when Dipper got the call that would break all their hearts, he was lost, just like his sister. Weeks after the funeral, Mabel had moved in with the both of them. She spent day and night on the couch just knitting, nonstop. A picture of Pacifica was always kept beside her. She knew that one day, soon, she would be joining her love.

 

**Age 84**

Neither child wanted to put their dad and aunt where they couldn’t take care of them. They had originally agreed to take one in each, that way their kids could still be around them. But with their busy lives and their kids getting too old, they were unable to care for their family. So with that, Mabel and Dipper were admitted to a retirement home. Bill had no say in the matter. He knew what was to happen, and there was no stopping it. But that didn’t stop him from daily visits to the twins. Though as the months past, those visits turned to every other day. Then to every week. Then to every other week. Then to every month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, "why is the ending so short???" wellllll I wouldn't really say that this is my final chapter of the story in case you haven't noticed. There's still one chapter left for you all, but I think you can guess how it's gonna go.


	24. Love Is Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bitter end.
> 
> This chapter was lowkey insipired by the song Crash by EDEN  
> (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw81bRYUzVM)

_Bill Cipher /bil ‘s_ _īfər/ - the name of perhaps one of the most powerful dream demons_

Born from the first mind to ever exist, Mother Earth herself. He’d seen everything that there is to see. He watched the planet itself go from a place once inhabited by nothing to being the mother of humans. A once empty green space become something more complex and beautiful. He’d watched the dinosaurs take their first steps around the world. Watched the first interaction of affection through how they cared for their young. He’d watch the first ape walk the earth. Watched how it began experimenting with things in order to ensure its survival. He’d watch these two different species pave the way for what we know today. He enjoyed the thought of growth and evolution. How something so small and simple could create something so impressive. To him, life was a never ending lesson. It was a lesson that he quite enjoyed.

But there comes a time when the growth begins to die. He was there to witness the famous meteor that crashed into Earth and wipe out almost all the dinosaurs. He watched as they all ran for their lives, not understanding just how massive the meteor really was. He had watched as the apes evolved into humans and slowly began to destroy the nature around them. He had seen it all. The way one person could destroy another by just a simple sentence. A simple word. The way death was all around them and no one could avoid it. The way people seemed to use each other. The way people could leave so fast and never look back at something. The way that love, in the end, is just a bittersweet death. Bill had witnessed all the heartbreaks, and so, he took it upon himself to never make that mistake. He chose to keep himself isolated away from others. He decided that in order to prevent the heartbreak, he wouldn’t be able to use his heart the way he wanted to. But this attempt at a prevention was the cause of his demise.

The constant pushing away of those around him slowly began to break him down. It began to bend and twist who he was. Trauma and terror was never what he always did. But the permanent damage he did to himself pushed him over the edge. The only escape from what he had done to himself, was to cause pain to others. He tore their mental state apart, the same way he had done to himself. It was never something that he intended to do, but it’s what he became. Now of course he did allow some to get close, but there was only one who he loved.

Dipper Pines, the name of a young adventurous boy who was all too eager to explore the hidden truth. The name of a young man who earned the love of Bill Cipher. It wasn’t something that either of them had planned or even thought was possible, but it was something beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful thing Bill had ever seen. There was something about the human, something Bill had never seen before in any human. It was intriguing to him. So he allowed himself to linger, and that lingering developed into his only love. They learned to love each other over time. They learned to forgive and forget. With the help of the human, Bill had finally began to heal from his own damage. The black and white world he created for himself grew spots of color.

They had done everything Bill had ever dreamed of. For the first time in his thousands of years existing, Bill had finally felt like he had a reason for existing. For the first time ever, he knew what he wanted. But like the dinosaurs, things come to a damaging end. Despite his attempts to never let what they had go, nothing ever worked. Every attempt failed him.There was nothing he could do to end a demons existence. So he watched as Dipper’s one chocolate brown hair shifted to white. He watched as Dipper’s young vibrant face grew tired and wrinkled. He watched as Dipper grew out of his childish ways and matured. He watched as Dipper’s extreme lifestyle died down into something simple. He watched as Dipper and his twin were placed into a retirement home, deemed too old to live on their own. But watching Dipper grow older each day wasn’t what hurt the most. What hurt the most was that with each day, Dipper still remembered Bill and everything that they’ve ever shared. Even at the age of 86, they sat together in the twin’s living room talking about the old days, Dipper remembering the moments to the smallest details. What hurt the most was that they still loved each other unconditionally and neither wanted to be separated, but Dipper’s time was almost to an end, and there was nothing that Bill could do to prevent it. So he did what any wise demon would do at a time like this. After reminiscing on the good old days and the happy memories, Bill led Dipper to his bed and tucked him in, giving him a soft kiss to his forehead. With one last squeeze to Dipper’s hand, he was gone, never to be seen again. On that night, he wiped their memories of the demon. Dipper and Mabel would be able to die without the heartbreak of leaving the one they loved the most behind. They would be laid to rest in peace. And Bill would be left to continue his wandering, alone and broken. Bill had finally understood what loss really meant.

 _Bill Cipher /bil ‘s_ _īfər/ - the name of a broken demon_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, something so sweet and beautiful, comes to the end no one wanted.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this story! I had a lot of fun writing it despite the ups and downs. There was a period of time were I had no motivation to finish the story but I got myself together and pulled these last four chapters together for you all!


End file.
